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The owners of Down The Hatch, located in Brookfield at 292 Candlewood Lake Rd., have reached a settlement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut to resolve allegations that the restaurant was out of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, US Attorney Vanessa Avery announced on Monday, Feb. 13.
The settlement stemmed from an ADA complaint from a person with disabilities who visited the eatery and was told that she had to remove her service animal from the business as a condition of service. Additionally, another complaint alleged that the restaurant's parking lot and restrooms were inaccessible to people with disabilities.
As a result of the agreement reached with the US Attorney's Office, the restaurant will now allow service animals and is in the process of posting signs on the property that read, "Service Animals Welcome." The business will also implement a "Service Animal Policy" and train employees to follow it.
The eatery will also make accessibility improvements to allow easier access to parking spaces and restrooms.
The restaurant made a compensation payment to the person who originally complained as required by the settlement, federal officials said.
Officials added that the owner of Down The Hatch cooperated with the US Attorney's Office to address the ADA issues without further litigation.
"The ADA requires businesses to appropriately serve the diverse populations of patrons who live, work, and visit Connecticut," Avery said, adding, "We appreciate Down the Hatch’s commitment to increasing access to its restaurant for individuals with disabilities who require service animal assistance and those with mobility challenges.”
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