1 of 2
2 of 2
Ask George: Why aren’t there more independent restaurants listed on those interstate highway “Food” signs? Walter W., St. Louis
It does seem that the national chains and fast-fooderies dominate that signage, and there are a few reasons why. One is the cost, which varies state by state. In Missouri, the cost for a listing is $1,000-$1,500 per year per direction, the cost varying due to traffic density. Missouri ranks near the middle cost-wise (14th out of the 23 states that participate). In addition, there is a one-time cost (less than $1,000) for production and fabrication of the restaurant's logo. So the bottom-line cost for a restaurant food sign reading each way on a Missouri interstate is approximately $4,000 per year.
The second factor is the parameters. In Missouri, according to the Missouri Logos website, prospective restaurants must, at a minimum, “be in continuous operation 12 hours per day, serve two meals per day, seven days a week.” Many independents have limited hours and/or take a day or two off and therefore do not qualify. On closer inspection, none of the three restaurants above fit the stringent criteria, either.
Restaurants that do not comply can contact Missouri Logos (a division of Lamar Advertising), who then contacts MoDot and requests a variance. Since many restaurants don't fulfill all the criteria--and if there is room on the sign--MoDot often relaxes the eligibility criteria and approves the restaurant for signage.
One parameter I found interesting was the allowable distance: a participating restaurant can be up to 6 miles away. So although the sign at Interstate 40/64 and McKnight notes that CiCi’s Pizza, Amighetti’s, and Farotto’s are all located 1.5 miles to the south, that sign could conceivably include the Steak & Shake on Watson Road, which is 5 miles south.
The third factor that comes into play is demand: while there are no restrictions regarding the type, size, or theme of the restaurant, it could certainly be argued that interstate travelers are looking for food that’s fast, cheap, and predictable, hence the preponderance of fast-fooderies and the lack of unfamiliar, independent restaurants.
