United States v. Katz's Delicatessen - Physical Accessibility Violations

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York filed a lawsuit against Katz's Delicatessen of Houston St., Inc., located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, for numerous violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The complaint identified multiple significant violations: - The main entrance of Katz's Delicatessen is not accessible to individuals using wheelchairs or other mobility devices - The restaurant does not provide sufficient dining surfaces accessible to persons with disabilities - Despite having been renovated in 2018, the restaurant's restrooms fail to comply with ADA accessibility standards The case settled very quickly, just ten days after filing, suggesting Katz's recognized the violations and moved promptly to address them. The settlement likely required Katz's to: - Make the main entrance accessible - Provide accessible dining surfaces - Bring restrooms into ADA compliance - Compensate affected individuals - Submit to monitoring by the DOJ This case is particularly notable because the restaurant underwent renovations in 2018 but failed to bring the facility into ADA compliance at that time. This highlights the importance of ensuring that renovations include accessibility improvements, as required by the ADA.