RePUBlic Gastropub

Note - The title of this review is not a statement about their food. It is a statement about their accessibility.

Every once in a while, you can REALLY get surprised. So it was with RePUBlic. I had high hopes for this place. It's located in our preppy new Classen Curve district. And it's been getting some pretty good reviews.

But those reviews won't matter much if you go there in a wheelchair. For such a new venture to be so completely wheelchair unfriendly is a very big surprise.

To begin with, there was only one Disable Parking spot. True, it was directly in front of the front door, but I did have to get into the mall traffic lane to get to the ramp. Better said: I had to SHARE the mall traffic lane with an SUV in order to get to the ramp. Not cool.

Inside, there were long aisles of booths and tall bar stools. And there were chairs and babies in the aisles. People had to move their chairs and stools OUT of the aisle for me to get through. (It's a good thing there wasn't a fire, if you get my drift.)

Fire safety ordinances aside, there were two areas with accessible tables. We were seated in the last available table. Which brings up the point that on a busy day, you might have to wait for an accessible table.

And now we come to the restroom. It's multiple occupancy. And it's inaccessible. Because of the length of the door, the nearness of the sink to the door and the position of the trash can, I could not get in. In fact I got stuck. Somebody tried to help (thanks) but I needed to find things out for myself. So......there might be LCD screens over the urinals but no way for a wheelchair or power chair to get in.

And that's what gave me the stomach ache.

P.S. I've gone over and over the bathroom situation in my mind. Maybe, I thought, I'm being unreasonable or too harsh. Maybe if I had entered at a different angle or with more strength. But it just shouldn't be a "try till you make it" entrance. It should be just as easy as the dozens and dozens of other restrooms are. Period.