Dear Customers,

On Thursday October 15, 2009 a customer with a service dog and her grandmother entered Oak Street Bistro. They were greeted and promptly seated at a table in one of our dining rooms. Before any customer receives a menu we wait until they are fully seated and comfortable with the table and surroundings.
To my surprise our server came to me and said that while taking their order that the customer felt she was discriminated against. I went to the table to address her complaint. The customer started to express her feelings regarding the table where she was sat in our dining room. [The customer never once mentioned her unhappiness with her accommodations when I sat her. And actually the grandmother said that she sat at that table before and all seemed fine] I was barely able to speak and when I did, her dog started to growl and bark. The customer told me that the dog didn’t like me. I then left the dining room as I didn’t want to cause a disturbance with the other guests. If you have been to our restaurant you know that we don’t have a backroom, only beautiful and comfortable dining rooms.
I went outside to check on the new lawn that was being installed and within 5 minutes, two of our servers ran out to tell me that other customers were complaining about the customer with the dog, I asked why, and the servers told me that the customer was parading her dog around the dining room from table to table crying and telling everyone she was being discriminated against. We politely asked her to please take her seat as her food was at the table, and her grandmother was already eating. She began to start yelling and was very disruptive to the other guests. Again she was asked to please take her seat and have her lunch that her food was already there. She began yelling to me that she was treated unfairly and I told her if she was going to continue to yell and disturb other patrons she would have to leave. She chose to leave.
Once outside, the customer called the state police. While waiting for them to arrive, my partner noticed her pleading her case to other patrons leaving the restaurant. At which point a group of three ladies told her she was out of line and that she disturbed them. One lady told her she was allergic to dogs and didn’t appreciate her bringing the dog to her table. The police officer arrived and after several minutes of interviewing the customer and me, asked to see the table where the customer was sat. Once outside my partner asked the police officer for his findings. The officer said that there were no laws broken and there was nothing worthy of a report.
First and foremost we never discriminated against this lady or any one else. Furthermore I would like to say to the customer that “You and your dog are always welcome” and we are sorry that she felt discriminated against. We have served numerous people with all different types of disabilities and have taken several steps to accommodate everyone. During our remodel, we enlarged our bathrooms and poured concrete to level several areas in the building to make this restaurant more handicap accessible and comfortable.

Our regreats,

Donnie Collins
Oak Street Bistro

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