Jul 7, 2009 6:02 pm US/Pacific
Famous Sac Burger Joint Threatened By Lawsuit
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ―
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The Squeeze Inn is often packed to capacity.
CBS
The famous burger joint that some say has the best burgers in Sacramento is being sued because of its small size.
The Squeeze Inn lives up to its name with extremely tight quarters, and the 30-year-old Fruitridge Road mainstay could be put out of business by a lawsuit filed by a disabled woman who calls the restaurant inaccessible to people with disabilities.
The plaintiff, a Sacramento wheelchair-bound woman, says that there's no handicap parking in the front, no ramp to get a wheelchair through the front door, no room for a wheelchair to turn around inside the business, no room for a wheelchair to sit at the outdoor tables, and no ramp into the restroom.
Customers who packed the small establishment and lined up far outside the door for a taste of the famous burgers expressed irritation at the lawsuit.
"So many people are so litigious, and they just go places that they can find to sue," said Ellen Beighley, who stopped in on her trip from Tennessee. "That just really irks me."
Owner Travis Hausauer couldn't even take a break from the lunch rush to talk about the latest federal lawsuit.
"The frustrating part is we always try to take care of people with special needs," Hausauer said while continuing to prepare food. "We have customers who come up and honk their horn, and we run out and take care of them. I say it's never our intention to discriminate against anybody."
When asked if he believes the lawsuits his business receives are from people looking for money, he said he thinks some of them are.
A sign on the front door of the Squeeze Inn says they are in the process of becoming compliant with regulations on disabled accessibility, but full compliance will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Hausauer says he may have to shut down the restaurant and move somewhere else.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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