Seattle Restaurant Facing Backlash After Announcing Closure

A decades-old burger joint in Seattle's University District is shutting its doors soon, but the announcement came with controversy.

The original Kidd Valley, which opened in 1975, will serve its last customers on Sunday, August 14. Owners shared the news in a Monday (August 8) post:

"We're so thankful for all the burgers and memories that have been shared here since. Unfortunately, the store needs to be remodeled to bring it up to energy, safety, and standards for the Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA], and in this inflationary environment, it is too expensive to remodel the store or build a new store."

While some lamented the closure of the store and shared memories, others in the comment section accused the business of blaming the ADA for the decision.

"The Americans with Disabilities Act became law in 1990. You had THIRTY-TWO YEARS to bring this location into compliance," one person wrote. "So when you say 'inflation' it really means 'corporate greed.'"

Another said: "Wow. Poor choice of words. You’ve lost me as a customer forever."

A commentator, who says they've been a customer since 1976, claims, "You are blaming 'inflationary period.' That’s so weak and a slap to the face to regular customers like me... You could have remodeled it at any time. Instead you neglected it until you could find a convenient reason to leave the location. Be honest."

The company also said they offered employees at the University District store a job at their other locations in Kenmore, Green Lake, Renton, and local sports stadiums.

Kidd Valley has not responded to the criticism as of Thursday afternoon (August 11).