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Chick-fil-A Restrooms

jar546

jar546

CBO
Joined
Oct 16, 2009
Messages
12,723
Location
Not where I really want to be
I was just at a Chick-fil-A and sat near the restrooms. This was before the lunch rush at noon. I noticed that there was always someone waiting to use one of the two male or female single-use restrooms. Even when there was no one in line, they were both occupied and as soon as someone exited, someone else was walking towards the restrooms and filled the empty spot. It got me thinking about the occupant load.

As I was leaving, I noticed there was maximum occupant load for the dining room of 125 persons. This would be in addition to all of the employee staff in the kitchen area.

I never went into one of the restrooms, but this got me thinking.

Single occupant with locks means there is probably only one water closet and there is no way this was enough for this brand new building.

However, I ran across this before where the owner of a restaurant had a water closet and urinal in the mens room to comply then after CO put a lock on the door to make it single use which was a violtation.

Thoughts?
 
Less wait times on Sundays!

Assembly class: "A", restaurant Males 1 per 75, Females 1 per 75.
Section IPC 425.2 Urinal substitution for toilet allowed.

What code section for locked bathrooms?

We're dealing with owners wanting to lock bathrooms here, to prevent theft.
 
Most of the Burger King outlets in my area have that setup -- the men's room has one water closet and one urinal with a thumbturn-operated deadbolt on the door, effectively making it a single occupant toilet room. Two violations: first, there's no compartment around the water closet, which is required in multi-fixture rest rooms, and the thumbturn deadbolt doesn't comply with A117.1 or the ADA.

I rarely go to Chick-fil-A and, when I have done so, I haven't used the rest room so I don't know if the ones around here have enough plumbing fixtures.

I have been in multiple Subway outlets that have two toilet rooms, but they only allow patrons to use one of them. The other is not marked as a toilet room (but I know it is -- or was -- because of the call-for-aid light over the door). There's a paper sign taped over the original room designation, so it now reads either "Staff" or "Private."

I recently reviewed plans for an interior alteration to an existing Dunkin' Donuts store. It currently has two single-occupant toilet rooms. The alteration calls for removing one of them. Review comment was that the single toilet room doesn't meet code. They resubmitted -- without correcting that.

Banks and CVS pharmacies are a constant problem with this. Both like to put the only restroom(s) in the back, behind a locked door in employee-only areas. If this is called out during plan review, they whine very loudly.

It seems that building owners regard toilet rooms as a nuisance rather than as an amenity, and they'll try very hard to avoid putting in enough fixtures to meet code.
 
I don't eat fast food often, but all of the Chick-Fil-A's I've been to in the past few years have had 2+ stalls per restroom.
 
Then there is this in Florida which may differ slightly from Ch 29 of the IBC:

[P] 2902.1.1 Fixture calculations.​

To determine the occupant load of each sex, the total occupant load shall be divided in half. To determine the required number of fixtures, the fixture ratio or ratios for each fixture type shall be applied to the occupant load of each sex in accordance with Table 2902.1. Fractional numbers resulting from applying the fixture ratios of Table 2902.1 shall be rounded up to the next whole number. For calculations involving multiple occupancies, such fractional numbers for each occupancy shall first be summed and then rounded up to the next whole number.
Exception:
  1. 1.The total occupant load shall not be required to be divided in half where approved statistical data indicate a distribution of the sexes of other than 50 percent of each sex.
  2. 2.Where multiple-user facilities are designed to serve all genders, the minimum fixture count shall be calculated 100 percent, based on total occupant load. In such multiple-user user facilities, each fixture type shall be in accordance with ICC A117.1 and each urinal that is provided shall be located in a stall.
  3. 3.Distribution of the sexes is not required where single-user water closets and bathing room fixtures are provided in accordance with Section 2902.1.2.
apps

[P] 2902.1.2 Single-user toilet and bathing room fixtures.​

The plumbing fixtures located in single-user toilet and bathing rooms, including family or assisted-use toilet and bathing rooms that are required by Chapter 11, shall contribute toward the total number of required plumbing fixtures for a building or tenant space. Single-user toilet and bathing rooms and family or assisted-use toilet rooms and bathing rooms shall be identified as being available for use by all persons regardless of their sex.
The total number of fixtures shall be permitted to be based on the required number of separate facilities or based on the aggregate of any combination of single-user or separate facilities.
 
We are still on the 2018 IBC that requires separate sex toilet rooms. Every building that I did inspections on that had two separate sex single-user toilet rooms changed the signs to all sexes for both toilet rooms after they got the C. O. I don't care, it makes sense to me.
Did a few gas stations where they took down the sign and put a lock on the door after the C. O. too. I care about this, but I am not the BCO.

Inspection an existing warehouse now that said on the plans that it is fully accessible, so they didn't need to show that they
are spending at least 20% on the alterations affecting an area containing a primary function. The women's room is locked, and the drinking fountains don't work. I'll be bringing this up at the final inspection.
 
I'm with you Yikes. This could turn into a cash cow for Jeff. He's got nothing against money so let's put something together and pitch it to a diaper company. Here's a picture to work with. If we smell interest, we can fix the image later.

IMG_2854 2.JPG
 
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