A popular San Francisco Bay Area mom-and-pop burger joint is closing after nearly 40 years after it was targeted in a lawsuit claiming the building didn’t comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
On April 11, owners George and Helen Koliavas announced the closing of Great American Hamburger and Pie Co., located in Richmond about 20 miles north of San Francisco in the East Bay.
“We have been proud, happy, and tireless to serve our always fresh and reasonably priced food to the people of Richmond and the surrounding area,” the couple wrote on their website. “Our success for the past 38 years has been attributed solely to the soul of this community and the kindness of our customers.”
The ADA is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.
The family and the owner of the small corner eatery were sued in January by a paraplegic man who claimed he visited the restaurant in October 2023 but could not dine inside because of a “high threshold” that blocked him from entering in his wheelchair, according to the lawsuit.
An accessibility expert hired by the plaintiff investigated the burger joint and claimed the building had several barriers for disabled customers, including the lack of wheelchair access.
Mr. Koliavas told SFGATE, a regional online news site, that he and his landlord discussed adding a wheelchair ramp by the restaurant’s entrance but decided not to because it would cost too much.
Mounting legal fees were the last “nail in the coffin” for the business, according to the article.
The closing was “emotional,” Mr. Koliavas said.
“We’re going to miss the community and our great customers,” he told the news site. “There’s a gentleman who comes once or twice a week and sits with us in the morning. This week, I’ve seen him every day. Those are the things that are going to stay with me.”
