Hydar Blog, v2.0

Squeeze Inn hamburgers

The Sacramento woman who sued the tiny Squeeze Inn hamburger restaurant over its lack of wheelchair access has dropped her lawsuit.

Kimberly Block, 41, filed a civil rights complaint July 6 against the Squeeze Inn under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In the lawsuit, Block claimed she suffered “embarrassment and humiliation” when she tried to eat there last November.

The appropriately-named Squeeze Inn is famous for its messy cheeseburgers and cramped quarters. The restaurant offers fewer than a dozen stools and no wheelchair ramp. The “Squeeze” attracted nationwide attention after being featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.”

The lawsuit generated outrage among loyal patrons and led owner Travis Hausauer to announce he would move to a larger building.

A one-page notice filed with the U.S. District Court in Sacramento this week announced the action against the Squeeze Inn had been “dismissed by the plaintiff in its entirety.” There was no explanation offered.

Sacramento attorney Mike Welch was among those angered by the lawsuit and represented the Squeeze Inn free of charge. Welch said Block’s Eureka attorney, ADA frequent filer Jason Singleton, was apparently overwhelmed by the public outcry.

“He took a bite out of the wrong apple,” Welch said. Singleton did not respond to an email from News10.

Hausauer told News10 the dismissal of the suit will not change his plans to move to a larger space. He has identified a restaurant location around the corner at 5301 Power Inn Road and will move before the end of the year.

Hausauer actually considers Block’s lawsuit a blessing. “We had obviously outgrown our current location,” he said. Hausauer estimated his business has increased by one-third as a result of the publicity.

Hausauer said he’ll try to recreate the charm of the old Squeeze Inn at the new location.