The point you seem to want to ignore is that NYS should not be allowed to force CFA to be open on Sundays. Period. And until the leases for each restaurant on thruways is up, neither should anyone else unless it is contractually allowed. After that they can do what they all want to do.
By golly, regarding Malls, you are right! I am now very disappointed that I was never able to get Chick-fil-A at White Marsh mall. I foolishly thought that the bars across the entrance meant they were closed when the mall was open!
Good news for those who like Chick-fil-A! Mall restaurants are open on Sunday!
Wait, you meant some malls allow Chick-Fil-A to be there and be closed Sundays? (psst ... so do thruway stops, for now. Get over it. Take Rt 20. whatever.)
1. As the owner of highways and mass transit facilities that operate seven days a week (and 24/7/365, in most cases), the State of New York absolutely has both the authority and a public interest in ensuring that the business establishments operating in these properties are as accessible as possible to the general public.
2. CFA’s locations on the NY State Thruway are subject to the terms of their lease with the company that operates the service areas, and also presumably subject to the terms of the master lease between the service plaza operator and the Thruway Authority (acting on behalf of the State of New York).
This is not a religious or civil rights matter at all. It’s a matter of contract law, and without seeing the lease agreement between CFA and the service area operator there’s really no way of knowing what CFA may or may not be forced to do if the State of New York passes this law.