ATL Bear said:
fubar said:
ATL Bear said:
fubar said:
ATL Bear said:
fubar said:
I'm not a fan of Chick Fil A's food, but I admire and support its practice of closing Sundays. If this case was an example of New York trying to force CFA to open Sundays, I'd be outraged and on the Lindsey Graham charge.
But that's not what is going on here.
The State of New York has expressways/tollways with VERY limited on/off ramps. My state (Kansas) has a similar one running through it. A chunk of I-35 from the southern state line to Emporia plus a road number I can't remember from Emporia to the western KCK suburbs. I'd guess that most of you have driven it. 'Bout 220 miles total. There are seven total places to get gas/food that you can access without exiting the turnpike. Each of those places has one fast food restaurant, so the restaurant is a mini-monopoly of sorts. The turnpike authority takes bids every so often from franchises, and in order to have its bid considered, a prospective franchise has to agree to certain terms. One of those is to be open seven days a week. (They do allow exceptions for things like today.)
It's done this way because of the limited nature of food choices travelers have. It's certainly not a back-of-the-hand to religious groups. CFA doesn't want to open Sundays, just find a spot off of the tollway. I'm surprised New York hasn't had this requirement all along. I don't see the outrage given the circumstances.
But you guys be you.
So they already have dozens of Chick-Fil-A locations operating in the tollway system, but this time it's different. Oookay. Well I'm sure it's just about traveler convenience…
Like I said, I'm surprised that opening seven days/week hasn't been a requirement all along. It has been in my neck of the woods. If individual CFA franchisee's are getting the shaft with a change in the contract, well, that definitely sucks.
But I don't see the battle that the Culture War Combatants seem to see here. So I'll sit this one out. Feel free to jump in. Senator Graham needs you!
Probably because the absence of a specialty food service one day a week isn't an actual traveler inconvenience. If they provided gas maybe it would make sense.
It's the absence of ANY food that is the problem.
But what the hey. Those silly people should just travel when it's convenient for entities like CFA.
You said you travelled the turnpikes up there. If you did you would know they aren't exclusive venue stops, i.e. in addition to the gas shop with all sorts of edibles, there are multiple food places. But sure, keep presenting it as a problem. I mean why not a 24/7 requirement since travelers can't be inconvenienced at any point in the week. And why the holiday exclusion? Don't a lot of people travel on holidays?
Just for grins for the poor stranded travelers with nothing to eat.
https://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/travelplazas/index.cgi
I don't recall ever seeing a CFA in the turnpike stops, but it's been five years since I traveled much in that area. (In-laws moved back to Chicago in 2018.) Given that I wouldn't have been looking for a CFA, I could easily have missed them. That there are multiple restaurants at most stops surprises me, as that isn't what I recall. I'll admit to that error. Your link proves me wrong on that point, and I thank you for showing me.
I searched your link for the "dozens" of CFAs you mentioned and found but seven. Perhaps neither of us is entirely accurate.
You (and plenty of others) seem to think that traveler convenience isn't what is behind the changes on the NY turnpikes, just some pretext I conjured out of my liberal ***. The heathen State is just out to get God-fearing CFA. In response, I'll point out that that heathen State is the de facto landlord, making contracts with entities to fill limited space. And this particular landlord collects not just rent, but revenue in the form of taxes. Perhaps the heathens simply don't want to forego tax $$$ while valuable spaces sit empty every seventh day.
You're smart. You can come up with other reasons why, other than hating Chick-Fil-A, New York might want to change contract requirements.
Or you can take the lazy route that the usual suspects like so much. Lindsey Graham is counting on you. CHARGE!
P.S. 4 inches is right. There is a ton of open space in New York once you get out of the NYC/Albany corridor.