Is 'America's Best Restroom' off US 1 near Kennett Square?

Cintas Corp., which supplies toilet paper and other basic supplies to a million business customers, has named the restroom at Longwood Gardens in Chester County as one of 10 Finalists in this year's America's Best Restroom contest.

Cintas was impressed by the "naturally lit" facilities' "hidden" placement within artist Kim Wilkie's "Green Wall", mininimizing the need for artifical light. The johns have become a "must-see" that staff takes time to explain, spokesowman Patricia Evans told Cintas. (They'd better explain pretty clearly; or how will visitors in need find a "hidden" restroom in time?)

Other contenders include American Girl Place in Chicago, Plums Cafe in Costa Mesa, Calif.; two tiki bars -- Mai Kai in Ft. Lauderdale and Tiki Lounge in Pittsburgh; The Grove restaurant in Los Angeles; El Centro, a Mexican restaurant in Washington, D.C.; the toilet-shaped Bowl Plaza facility in the mosaic center of Lucas, Kansas; Trail Restroom in Austin, Tex.; the Fabulous Fox Theater in St. Louis. Cintas is tabbing votes (and collecting what may be useful data) at www.bestrestroom.com.