A pair of Purple Macaws at the Nashville Zoo

The public was not monkeying around when it came to choosing their favorite restroom. Cintas Corporation has named Nashville Zoo in Nashville, Tennessee the winner of the 2019 America’s Best Restroom contest. 

As this year’s winner, Nashville Zoo will get to properly crown their golden thrones with prizes from Cintas. This includes $2,500 in Cintas products and services for restroom cleaning or facility management, along with a lifetime supply of bathroom bragging rights. 

“We’re thrilled to earn the title of America’s Best Restroom,” says 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,” says 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 Aug. 5 and opened voting to the public through Sept. 13. The 10 finalists were selected based on cleanliness, visual appeal, innovation, functionality and unique design elements.