Some New York state lawmakers are not happy with plans to add Chick-fil-A to rest stops on the New York State Thruway.
The USA Today Network of New York reports NYS Assembly member Linda Rosenthal sent a letter to Thruway Executive Director Matthew Driscoll and Joanie Mahoney, chair of the Thruway’s board of directors, urging them to scrap plans to include Chick-fil-A as a restaurant option as part of a $450 million project to renovate 27 rest stops across the state. Construction on 10 service areas, including one in Chittenango, will begin later this month.
“New York State has long stood on the right side of history and supported the LGBTQ+ community, but this decision flies in the face of our progressive values and will undermine the progress we have worked to achieve,” Rosenthal wrote in the letter Thursday.
“The New York State Thruway Authority, a public-benefit corporation, must immediately drop all plans to allow Chick-fil-A to operate on New York State property.”
Three openly gay lawmakers — Assemblymembers Harry Bronson of Rochester and Deborah Gluck and Daniel O’Donnell of Manhattan — sent their own letter to the Thruway Authority on Friday, similarly citing Chick-fil-A’s history of donating to anti-LGBTQ groups.
The restaurant chain said it would stop supporting anti-LGBTQ groups in late 2019 but the company’s billionaire CEO Dan Cathy, who has spoken out against same-sex marriage, has reportedly continued to give money to the National Christian Charitable Foundation (NCF) in a fight against the proposed Equality Act, which would protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from discrimination at the federal level. Chick-fil-A has strong Christian roots, including closing on Sundays due to founder Truett Cathy’s religious beliefs; Dan Cathy is Truett’s son.
“We want to be clear that Chick-fil-A does not have a political or social agenda, and we welcome everyone in our restaurants,” the company said in a statement to USA Today Network New York. “We are proud to be represented by more than 180,000 diverse Team Members nationwide, and we strive to be a positive influence in our local communities.”
Beginning July 29, ten service areas will close for construction along I-87 and I-90 as part of the Thruway overhaul; fuel stations will remain open at every plaza during the project. Restaurants coming to the rest stops include Chick-fil-A, Shake Shack, Panera, Popeyes, Burger King, Panda Express, Starbucks, and Dunkin’ Donuts, but details about where each business will be located have not been announced.
The Thruway Authority told USA Today in a statement that every restaurant brand must “adhere to the inclusive and non-discriminatory standards that New York State embraces.”
Chick-fil-A, which currently has two locations in the Syracuse area, was previously blocked from coming to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport in 2019. Assemblyman Sean Ryan (D, NY-149) said he asked the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority to reverse its plans to add the restaurant because an anti-LGBTQ company should not be allowed to operate in a taxpayer-funded public facility.
Neither the Thruway — nor taxes or tolls from drivers — are paying for the renovations at the rest stops. Contract winner Empire State Thruway Partners is making the total investment, including $300 million in construction costs and another $103 million for maintenance over time. In return, the developer will keep a portion of sales at the plazas as part of a 33-year contract.