We've heard about the ongoing renovations at the New York State Thruway service areas that have been going on for some time. And while this will bring some highly anticipated new restaurants to the rest areas, such as Shake Shack and Chick-fil-A, it will mean some other places to eat are gone.

One Thruway plaza located in the Hudson Valley is also closed for an upgrade.

McDonald's Leaving the Thruway 

Syracuse.com says that the remaining 11 McDonald's locations closed on January 1. Thruway spokesperson Johnathon Dougherty said that the McDonald's will be temporarily replaced by Applegreen C-Stores at all locations, which will offer Taste NY products, items, and merchandise.

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Two Thruway rest stops also closed for construction, including the Ramapo service area, which is on Interstate 87 between Exit 16 (Woodbury Toll Gantry) and Exit 15A, as part of the phase 2 renovations.

Syracuse.com says that the 17 plazas are still run by three different companies, whose contracts expired at the end of 2019.

New Restaurants Coming to the New York State Thruway

These restaurants will soon be open along the New York State Thruway.

Where's the Beef? 

With long commutes and travel times, sometimes hitting the local fast food drive-through is your only option for a quick meal if you're short on time. As many fast food franchises continue to tinker with their menus to meet growing demand, New Yorkers are given quite a few more choices on where to go.

But we know that some fast food chains are more prevalent in some parts of the country versus others. Ever wondered what the most common fast food chains are in New York state? Hint, it's actually not McDonald's.

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The Data

The website Stacker compiled a list of the most common fast food chains in New York using data from the Friendly City Lab at Georgia Tech. These numbers were taken from info provided in 2021, so a few of the details could be a little off, given how many restaurants came and went during COVID times.

What Are the Most Common Fast Food Chains in New York State?

Stacker says that data was available for 49,651 restaurants in New York, of which 13,976 are chain restaurants.

  • 20. Moe's Southwest Grill: 69
  • 19. Arby's: 76
  • 18. Papa John's: 85
  • 17. Five Guys: 96
  • 16. Panera Bread: 121
  • 15. KFC: 163
  • 14. Pizza Hut: 164
  • 13. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen: 182
  • 12. Chipotle Mexican Grill: 185
  • 11. Carvel Ice Cream: 199
  • 10. Tim Hortons: 228
  • 9. Wendy's: 229
  • 8. Taco Bell: 231
  • 7. Domino's Pizza: 236
  • 6. Baskin Robbins: 311
  • 5. Burger King: 355
  • 4. Starbucks: 462
  • 3. McDonald's: 615
  • 2. Subway: 1,083
  • 1. Dunkin: 1,455

Read More: What Are the Most Common Fast Food Chains in New York State? | https://wpdh.com/fast-food-places-new-york/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

LOOK: 15 Discontinued McDonald's Menu Items

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