When members of the public were asked to choose their favorite restroom this year, they went ape over one facility in particular. Among the 10 bathrooms in contention, Nashville Zoo in Nashville, TN earned the lion’s share of the votes and was named the winner of Cintas Corporation’s 2019 America’s Best Restroom® contest.
“We’re thrilled to earn the title of America’s Best Restroom,” said Rick Schwartz, President and CEO of the Nashville Zoo. “As one of the top tourist attractions in Tennessee, we saw our restrooms as an opportunity to educate visitors and allow their trip to the zoo to continue even during a bathroom break. We wanted our restrooms to create dialogue and conversation, and it worked better than expected.”
Inside, the Nashville Zoo restrooms offer more than meets the eye. Nashville Zoo’s Expedition Peru: Trek of the Andean Bear women’s restroom features a floor-to-ceiling glass window through which a family of six cotton-top tamarins are visible. This extravagant indoor exhibit features these critically endangered primates and all their antics. Meanwhile, Nashville Zoo’s Entry Village men’s restroom features a floor-to-ceiling glass window with a view of the Boelens Python snake exhibit.
“The Nashville Zoo was able to turn its public restrooms into another attraction, and the public responded in a very positive way,” said Sean Mulcahey, Marketing Manager, Cintas. “Public restrooms meet many needs, so it’s important that they’re not only clean and well-maintained, but also memorable because it can impact the success of your business.”
Cintas revealed the 10 contest finalists on August 5 and opened voting to the public through September 13. The other finalists in the 2019 America’s Best Restroom contest included:
- Butcher and the Brewer – Cleveland, OH
- Jianna Restaurant – Greenville, SC
- Jupiter Next – Portland, OR
- La Belle Helene – Charlotte, NC
- LaGuardia Airport – New York City
- Mourad – San Francisco, CA
- Natick Mall – Natick, MA
- New Museum of Contemporary Art – New York City
- Sea-Tac Airport– Seattle, WA
The finalists were selected based on cleanliness, visual appeal, innovation, functionality and unique design elements.
As this year’s winner, Nashville Zoo will get to crown their golden thrones with prizes from Cintas. This includes $2,500 in Cintas products and services for restroom cleaning or facility management to keep their restrooms Ready for the Workday®, along with a lifetime supply of bathroom bragging rights.
Do you know of a prize-worthy potty? You can nominate a restroom for the 2020 contest here.
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