What New Restaurants Are Being Added to NY Thruway Rest Stops?

Picture this: you're traveling along the New York State Thruway and your stomach starts to rumble. You're hungry, and your car makes the decision to stop and get food. As you approach the closest rest stop, you realize the food options aren't what you wish they were. Good news: new restaurant options are being added to rest stops along the Thruway.

According to the Utica OD, an Irish convenience store chain called Applegreen is taking over the lease of 27 rest stops, will begin the first phase of a $300 million renovation project later this month, which will eventually see 23 of the travel plazas rebuilt and the remaining four extensively renovated.

When the travel plazas reopen, they will be the home of some newer food options for travelers, replacing what had been there for years previously.

Here's the thing: it's not entirely known what rest stops will be getting the new additions. And, not all brands will be available in each area.

We do know that several rest areas will be temporarily closed for a period of time, including Indian Castle, Junius Ponds, Chittenango, Ardsley, Iroquois, Clarence, Plattekill, Clifton Springs, New Baltimore and Pembroke. Six others: Seneca, Oneida, Pattersonville, Sloatsburg, Scottsville and Ulster will be open for "interim operations" until late 2022 or early 2023, according to the Thruway Authority. Indian Castle, Junius Ponds and Chittenango are all slated to reopen in March 2022. The remaining plazas in the first phase will open at various points from July 2022 through November 2023.

The construction is designed so no two consecutive rest stops are closed at the same time, and the Thruway's gas stations -- which are separate from the rest stops -- will remain open.

Are these the ones adding the new options? That information is not confirmed, but it's a good assumption in our opinion.

What Restaurants Are Being Added to New York State Thruway Rest Stops?

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