Life, liberty … and the pursuit of a clean restroom
Have you ever been to a Buc-ee’s? A few years ago, on a trek from Dallas to Austin, we stopped at a Buc-ee’s on I-35. It ended up being a transformative experience.
When we walked through the doors, we were greeted by a store that carried everything from Texas souvenirs to travel necessities to food such as freshly smoked barbeque. And we were amazed when we used the restrooms. They were spotless. By the time we hit the parking lot, Buc-ee’s had already become a must stop for all future I-35 road trips.
Did I mention the freshly smoked barbeque?
Beware: Highway rest stop ahead
Why do we avoid certain highway rest stops in favor of places like Buc-ees? I mean, if nature is calling and our options are limited, we tend to do what we have to do. But they often give us the heebee jeebies. A lack of consistency with cleaning, a lack of care in maintenance and, sometimes, the feeling that they are being ignored all together.
The heebie jeebies were prevalent in a new survey that Clients First has had the privilege to promote. Timed to coincide with the summer travel season and sponsored by Invisible Sun Technology, a leading provider of contactless Proof of Presence solutions for facility operations, the survey of ~800 people across the U.S. indicated a significant number found restrooms at highway rest stops and other travel hubs like airports and train stations “unsatisfactory.”
The biggest offenders were highway rest stops. Making this worse is that most travelers plan to drive to their vacation destinations this summer. AAA projected that a record number of Americans – 72 million – would travel at least 50 miles from their home during Fourth of July week alone.
What happens when people find restrooms unsatisfactory? According to the 2026 Healthy Handwashing Survey by Bradley Company, six out of 10 consumers say they would spend more at a business known for clean restrooms, with 71% more likely to return and spend more after a positive restroom experience.
The financial impact of such decisions on transportation hubs is huge. For example, food and beverage concessions account for 26 percent of non-aeronautical revenue – a market valued at $65 billion – for U.S. airports, according to the 2025 Industry Research Market.
(More to come ... see our podcast next week)
Power to the polling
While trust in mainstream media may be at an all-time low, most people still trust surveys taken by reputable polling groups.
Our restroom survey results reflect the unfiltered opinions of Americans from across the country, regardless of class, gender or location. That means the content is objective (see our recent press release). “Fake news”? Not here.
I don’t know about you, but I am still basking in the glow of America’s 250th birthday.
The U.S. is essentially a 250-year-old experiment (see our recent podcast). What happens when you create a nation that is truly a melting pot reflecting the strength and wisdom of people from around the globe? You establish a model that should be emulated around the world. I don’t want to lose that, and I would bet that if we polled people, they wouldn’t either.
Happy 250th birthday, America. Let’s all take pride in our great country, warts and all. Let’s also take pride in our freedom of speech and our freedom from censorship. On our worst day, we are still the greatest place on earth.
Heebie jeebies or not.
# # #
