A stock image image of a person prepared to board a wheelchair ramp. Manu Vega/Getty Images
- A family-run business shut down after 38 years following a disability access lawsuit.
- The owners say they proposed adding a wheelchair ramp, but that the landlord said it was too expensive.
- Noncompliance with the ADA can result in a fine of up to $75,000 for a first-time offense.
A family-run burger joint in Richmond, California, closed on Thursday after 38 years of business, citing a lawsuit over a lack of wheelchair access as a contributing factor.
In their closure announcement, the owners mentioned a recent lawsuit as having “taken a toll” on the burger joint.
They also mentioned the challenges of COVID-19 and inflation.
The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California in January this year, was brought by a paraplegic plaintiff who accused the restaurant owners and landlord of discriminating against him by not complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The ADA is a federal law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities, meaning businesses need to make their premises accessible for wheelchair users.
Noncompliance with the ADA can result in fines of up to $75,000 for a first-time offense, and legal bills that can reach into the thousands.
George Koliavas, one of the owners of the Great American Hamburger & Pie Co., told SFGATE that he and his wife had proposed adding a wheelchair ramp by the entrance to the decades-old restaurant to address the accessibility issue.
But he said their landlord rejected the solution, saying it would cost too much.
In the lawsuit, the plaintiff said a “high threshold” stopped him from entering the restaurant in October 2023. He said he felt like an “outcast” because he could not eat his hamburger inside the restaurant “like able-bodied persons.”
The lawsuit also said that when he returned in December, he encountered the same inaccessible entrance, which prevented him from entering again.
The lawsuit and accompanying legal fees proved a challenge too big to surpass for the owners, who decided to shutter the business.
“It’s frustrating, and you get to a point where you say, ‘You know what, forget it,'” Koliavas told SFGATE.
Expressing his frustration, Koliavas told SFGATE: “It seems like the chain reaction is that the landlord doesn’t want to do anything, and it comes down on the small businesses.”
According to the National Restaurant Association’s 2024 State of the Restaurant Industry report, rising food and labor costs are making it increasingly difficult for restaurants to make a profit.
The association estimated a 20% success rate overall for the industry, meaning most restaurants fail.
According to the local newspaper, the burger joint was set up by Helen Koliavas’ parents in 1986, and the couple took over the business in 2010.
“We’re going to miss the community and our great customers,” George Koliavas told SFGATE, noting that some patrons had been visiting since they were kids.
If you enjoyed this story, be sure to follow Business Insider on Microsoft Start.
News Related
-
Cloud computing experts, builders, customers, partners, and technology enthusiasts descend on Las Vegas to attend AWS re:Invent event that runs through December 1. Photo: AWS Amazon Web Services, the world’s biggest cloud services provider, has expanded its partnership with technology platform Clarity AI to help investors and consumers advance sustainable ...
See Details:
AWS and Clarity AI to use generative AI to boost sustainable investments
-
Manchester City players appeal to the referee after Ruben Dias’ effort is ruled out for a foul on Alisson Former referee Dermot Gallagher dissects the flashpoints from the latest round of the 2023/24 Premier League season including Manchester City’s disallowed goal against Liverpool and Manchester United’s penalty at Everton. Man ...
See Details:
Ref Watch: 'Enough' of a foul to disallow Man City goal vs Liverpool
-
-
All-rounder Hardik Pandya has been traded to his former franchise Mumbai Indians (MI) from Gujarat Titans with Cameron Green moving from Mumbai to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the IPL said yesterday. Five-time winners Mumbai got all-rounder Pandya back on his existing player fee of $1.8mn as teams prepare their wish ...
See Details:
Pandya returns to MI, Green goes to RCB
-
KYIV, 28th November, 2023 (WAM) — A winter storm lashed central and southern Ukraine, killing at least five people in Ukraine and three in neighbouring Moldova, with snow and high winds knocking out power to hundreds of towns and villages and shutting highways, Reuters reported. At least 19 people were ...
See Details:
Snowstorm kills eight in Ukraine and Moldova, hundreds of towns lose power
-
-
Empty jars of cream cheese, bottles of juice, torn clothes and scrap wood. These are just some items that double as eye-catching decor in Dubai resident Siddiqa Akhtar’s Furjan townhouse. A veritable upcycled haven, the Pakistani homemaker’s DIY space pays homage to her zero-waste lifestyle. Her creativity is evident from ...
See Details:
Inside a Dubai home with upcycled furniture and zero waste
-
-
Henry Turner of JESS Blues. Defending school champs JESS play a practice match against Dubai Hurricanes ahead of Emirates Dubai Sevens. The Sevens, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National When Jumeirah English Speaking School claimed the Gulf Under-19s title at the Dubai Sevens for the first time 12 months ago ...
See Details:
No Antoine Dupont but Dubai still set to launch new era for sevens
-
Henry Turner of JESS Blues. Defending school champs JESS play a practice match against Dubai Hurricanes ahead of Emirates Dubai Sevens. The Sevens, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National When Jumeirah English Speaking School claimed the Gulf Under-19s title at the Dubai Sevens for the first time 12 months ago ...
See Details:
Why ESG investors are concerned about AI
-
Henry Turner of JESS Blues. Defending school champs JESS play a practice match against Dubai Hurricanes ahead of Emirates Dubai Sevens. The Sevens, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National When Jumeirah English Speaking School claimed the Gulf Under-19s title at the Dubai Sevens for the first time 12 months ago ...
See Details:
Your campsite can harm the environment
-
Henry Turner of JESS Blues. Defending school champs JESS play a practice match against Dubai Hurricanes ahead of Emirates Dubai Sevens. The Sevens, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National When Jumeirah English Speaking School claimed the Gulf Under-19s title at the Dubai Sevens for the first time 12 months ago ...
See Details:
Mubadala, Saudi Fund deals on US radar for potential China angle
-
Henry Turner of JESS Blues. Defending school champs JESS play a practice match against Dubai Hurricanes ahead of Emirates Dubai Sevens. The Sevens, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National When Jumeirah English Speaking School claimed the Gulf Under-19s title at the Dubai Sevens for the first time 12 months ago ...
See Details:
Abu Dhabi T10 season seven to kick off with thrilling double-header
-
Henry Turner of JESS Blues. Defending school champs JESS play a practice match against Dubai Hurricanes ahead of Emirates Dubai Sevens. The Sevens, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National When Jumeirah English Speaking School claimed the Gulf Under-19s title at the Dubai Sevens for the first time 12 months ago ...
See Details:
Eight climate fiction, or cli-fi, books to consider before Cop28
OTHER NEWS
Fantic Stealth 125 and Imola Concept The Italian manufacturer’s sporty offerings are designed to appeal to the beginner segment. The 125cc segment, pretty much non-existent in the US market, is ...
Read more »
Valencia orange image Perspective from Roseane M Silva Master in Health Sciences, Bachelor in Nutrition · 7 years of experience · Brazil Possible Side Effects People who are allergic to ...
Read more »
Leading grocery delivery company Kibsons says it is already answering the call for greener production processes as food security and sourcing enter the Cop28 spotlight later this month. The UAE ...
Read more »
AMMAN — The government on Wednesday endorsed the draft general budget law for 2024 with estimated public revenues of JD10.3 billion, marking an increase of 8.9 per cent compared with ...
Read more »
AMMAN — The new forecasted capital expenditure for the fiscal year 2024 stands at JD73.317 million, according to the 2024 public budget draft law. The government allocated JD1.729 billion as ...
Read more »
AMMAN — The post World War I period marks the beginning of scholarly research in Jordan. During the British Mandate in Jordan, the Department of Antiquities in Amman was founded ...
Read more »
The Sharjah City Municipality has issued a set of guidelines for the use of cosmetic products in hair salons and beauty centres. The authority urges salons to stick to these ...
Read more »