T Rodkey
Google
Discriminatory and Disappointing Experience – Denied Entry for a Service Dog
I had been looking forward to trying this place for a while and finally decided to go tonight with a friend. Wanting to make sure everything went smoothly, I called the restaurant in advance to ask two specific things: whether the patio was open and if they allowed dogs. I was told the patio was only open on weekends but yes, dogs were allowed.
When we arrived, I was seated quickly with no issue—and my puppy was with me. Everything seemed fine until my friend walked in with her American Bully, who happens to be a trained service dog. Suddenly, the staff told us we had to leave. The waitress claimed I had only asked about one dog on the phone, which is completely false. I explained that my dog could leave if necessary, but my friend’s dog is a service dog, which is protected under both federal and state law.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California law (Civil Code Section 54.1), it is illegal for a business to deny access to a person accompanied by a service dog. Emotional support animals are not covered, but this was not an emotional support animal—this was a trained service dog performing tasks related to a disability.
Instead of correcting their mistake or accommodating us, another employee came over and said they were worried other customers might complain the next day and they might lose business. When we reiterated that this was a service animal, they asked if the dog had a vest, which is not required by law. My friend had her service dog ID tag, which is also not required, but they completely ignored that asking for the dog vest. When we explained it’s not required, she told us again that we could not stay.
What made this experience even worse was the way we were treated. Had the staff handled the situation with even a little professionalism, kindness, or tact, it would have made the experience far less upsetting—even if we still disagreed. But instead, we were met with coldness, misinformation, and condescension. It’s disappointing enough that they blatantly violated ADA and California law, but their complete lack of empathy or understanding made it all the more frustrating.
At that moment, there were only two other parties in the entire restaurant—a single diner who I had already spoken to and said he didn’t mind the dogs at all, and a small family. They could have easily seated us farther away, on the patio or made some other reasonable accommodation. Instead, they chose to exclude us entirely.
We ended up going to Besta Wan Pizza House, and the difference in how we were treated was night and day. The staff there immediately welcomed us with genuine warmth and respect. They not only allowed our dogs but came out with milk bones and water bowls—without us even asking. They smiled, chatted with us, and made us feel completely at ease. That’s what real customer service looks like: treating people (and their service animals) with kindness, dignity, and understanding.
They said they were worried about losing business over dogs being present. Well, they did lose business—because I will never be back, and neither will my friend. And anyone I know who cares about accessibility, inclusivity, or simply treating others decently will hear about this experience too.
I sincerely hope they take this as a wake-up call to educate their team and do better in the future.
