Bad news for lovers of $14 guacamole: swanky Mexican chain Rosa Mexicano is getting sued by the Feds for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to the U.S. Attorney's office, the Rosa Mexicano outpost on 58th and First Ave needs a ramp at its entrance for disability access, and the accessible entrances at the company's Lincoln Center and Union Square locations are still non-compliant with aspects of the ADA.
The suit also alleges all three locations fail to provide adequate bathroom access, and the Lincoln Center location was called out for not having tables or bar areas designed for people in wheelchairs. "When it comes to restaurants, New York City is arguably the world’s crown jewel, and the purpose of this initiative is to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to its offerings. With today’s lawsuit alleging multiple violations of the ADA at three Rosa Mexicano locations in the City, that is exactly what we are doing,” U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a press release.
And unfortunately for Rosa Mexicano, the chain's very popularity is what led its restaurants to be targeted; the U.S. Attorney's office went after the top 50 dining spots in the 2012 Zagat guide, and Rosa Mexicano is the first of the bunch to be sued, though not the first to rack up violations. "We certainly disagree with the allegations, as well as the Department of Justice's decision to use the list as an arbiter of what to investigate," Rosa Mexicano's lawyer told the Observer. But the restaurant says they're cooperating with Feds during the ensuing investigation, and they can't help it that they're so popular!
