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SAWHORSE
SEPTEMBER 20, 2011
Top Eateries Face Disability Review
By TAMER EL-GHOBASHY
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904194604576581224071565118.html#
Having already garnered rave reviews from critics and patrons alike, New York City's top 50 restaurants will now find themselves under the spot light of a different authority: federal prosecutors.
Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Monday that his office is conducting a review of the most popular restaurants in Manhattan to determine if they are accessible to disabled diners.
The investigation will focus on the 50 most popular restaurants, as rated by the Zagat guide, and is being done under a congressional mandate to enforce the Americans With Disabilities Act that was established in 1990, Mr. Bharara said in a statement.
"In New York City, arguably the restaurant capital of the world, no one should be unfairly deprived of the opportunity to enjoy the City's world class dining offerings, and we will take all reasonable legal steps to make sure they are not," Mr. Bharara's statement read.
The Gramercy Tavern, Le Bernardin and Eleven Madison Park currently top the Zagat list of the city's most popular. The owners and operators of the selected restaurants will be asked to fill out surveys detailing their accessibility to disabled people. Investigators will then visit to confirm the responses and evaluate their compliance with ADA regulations.
Establishments found to be deficient will be allowed to correct the problems. Those that refuse could be subject to a civil lawsuit brought by the government, in addition to fines, prosecutors said.
Sarah Rosenberg, a spokeswoman for Eleven Madison Park said the inspections would be "routine" for the popular restaurant. It is located on the ground floor, restrooms are wheelchair- accessible and elevators service the second-floor private dining rooms, she said.
"If you have a restaurant, that has to be a priority," she said of access for disabled people.
The extra scrutiny "really has no effect on us," she said.
"We welcome them in and hopefully they stay for dinner," Ms. Rosenberg said of the federal investigators.
Representatives of the Gramercy Tavern and Le Bernardin didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
The restaurant review follows a similar program by the US Attorney targeting hotels in Times Square. The so-called Hotels Initiative "vastly" increased the number of assessable rooms after 33 hotels entered into voluntary compliance agreements with the government, prosecutors said.
Write to Tamer El-Ghobashy at tamer.el-ghobashy@wsj.com
Top Eateries Face Disability Review
By TAMER EL-GHOBASHY
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904194604576581224071565118.html#
Having already garnered rave reviews from critics and patrons alike, New York City's top 50 restaurants will now find themselves under the spot light of a different authority: federal prosecutors.
Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Monday that his office is conducting a review of the most popular restaurants in Manhattan to determine if they are accessible to disabled diners.
The investigation will focus on the 50 most popular restaurants, as rated by the Zagat guide, and is being done under a congressional mandate to enforce the Americans With Disabilities Act that was established in 1990, Mr. Bharara said in a statement.
"In New York City, arguably the restaurant capital of the world, no one should be unfairly deprived of the opportunity to enjoy the City's world class dining offerings, and we will take all reasonable legal steps to make sure they are not," Mr. Bharara's statement read.
The Gramercy Tavern, Le Bernardin and Eleven Madison Park currently top the Zagat list of the city's most popular. The owners and operators of the selected restaurants will be asked to fill out surveys detailing their accessibility to disabled people. Investigators will then visit to confirm the responses and evaluate their compliance with ADA regulations.
Establishments found to be deficient will be allowed to correct the problems. Those that refuse could be subject to a civil lawsuit brought by the government, in addition to fines, prosecutors said.
Sarah Rosenberg, a spokeswoman for Eleven Madison Park said the inspections would be "routine" for the popular restaurant. It is located on the ground floor, restrooms are wheelchair- accessible and elevators service the second-floor private dining rooms, she said.
"If you have a restaurant, that has to be a priority," she said of access for disabled people.
The extra scrutiny "really has no effect on us," she said.
"We welcome them in and hopefully they stay for dinner," Ms. Rosenberg said of the federal investigators.
Representatives of the Gramercy Tavern and Le Bernardin didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
The restaurant review follows a similar program by the US Attorney targeting hotels in Times Square. The so-called Hotels Initiative "vastly" increased the number of assessable rooms after 33 hotels entered into voluntary compliance agreements with the government, prosecutors said.
Write to Tamer El-Ghobashy at tamer.el-ghobashy@wsj.com
