Accessibility Consulting Services for Restaurants Assumption It is our continuing experience that lawsuits are being filed against restaurant owners who believe that their facilities are fully compliant with the ADA. We recommend a proactive approach. Background A gentleman who drives a van with a fold-down ramp went out to dinner at a restaurant that did not provide a van accessible parking space. Since he couldn't park there, he couldn't eat there. He instructed his attorney to file a lawsuit for injunctive relief, which means "fix it or shut it down." The plaintiff was not suing for damages, only for access. This is typical. New Design Guidelines New ADA Accessibility Guidelines are working their way through the U.S. Department of Justice approval process. The changes are significant. In part, toilet rooms in restaurants will be required to provide more wheelchair maneuvering space than mandated by present statute. How this will play out in an existing facility has yet to be determined. In the past, older restaurants have not been "grandfathered" or otherwise excused from compliance with the ADA. Step One We perform access surveys of restaurants, and prepare reports that identify latent barriers to access, explain the pertinent points of law and recommend alternate methods of achieving compliance. The physical survey takes about an hour or so. We look only at the parts of the facility used by the general public, not private spaces such as the office or kitchen. (Contact) Step Two Your architect and restaurant management will use our access survey report as the basis of an ADA compliance plan. An effective plan will include design requirements, budget costs, priorities and a timetable. We remain on-call to your staff during this process. Some barriers can be eliminated immediately and at no cost; others may require a simple change in policy. Significant barriers can trigger major alterations. Having a compliance plan in place shows good-faith, and the elimination of barriers reduces exposure. Defense expert in an ADA lawsuit We provide expert witness services for restaurants sued under federal civil rights law with regard to accessibility. We prepare an access survey report for the defense, addressing each allegation. We work with owners and their attorneys to keep the matter in a settlement conference instead of a courtroom. We stand by the defendant through the settlement process, and prepare rebuttal to frivolous and unfounded demands. We identify the minimum requirements of enforceable federal statute, and recommend the least costly methods of achieving compliance. We recommend settlement language that will help the defendant to maximize the tax deduction and tax credit that may be available for removal of barriers to access. Accessibility review of architectural plans For a new restaurant or for renovations to an existing one, we provide plan review services for your architects, to ensure that the finished facility will be fully compliant with the requirements of state and federal accessibility law. We believe that it is much more sensible to identify problems early and on paper, rather than tear out non-compliant construction in the field. We also provide site inspections at key points during construction, to verify that things are being built as designed. Restaurants we have worked with include Akbar Palace Restaurant Applebee's Arby's Bojangle's Famous Chicken Booeymonger Burger King Charleston's Chilino's Chuy's Circle S Ranch House Clear Springs Restaurant Clyde's Coffee X Change College Park Diner Dempsey's American Kitchen Denny's Doc's Bar-B-Q Duffy's Tavern El Charro Fager's Island Famous Dave's Flora & Ella's Friendly's Fuddrucker's Golden Bull Grand Cafe Higgins Crab House Hooters Houston's Restaurant Il Giardino Ristorante Ireland's Four Provinces IHOP Jasper's KFC La Casita La Fiesta Mexican Cafe La Macarena Leesport Family restaurant Luby's Cafeteria McDonald's Odeon Restaurant Othello's Restaurant Phillips Flagship Restaurant Pizza Hut Purple Moose Saloon Red Hot & Blue Sam's Burger Joint Silver Saddle Steak House Sir Walter Raleigh Inn Spaghetti Warehouse Spezie Steak & Ale Subway Taco Bell TGI Friday's The Beached Whale A complete project list is provided in the Curriculum Vitae. Contact