Popular Richmond burger spot to close after nearly 40 years
RICHMOND, Calif. (KRON) — Another East Bay business is closing up shop — this one in Point Richmond. More and more, we hear about businesses that made it through the height of the pandemic –only to close their doors this year.
That’s happening to a beloved burger spot in Point Richmond.
For the past 38 years, those who live or work in the area have come to depend on Great American Hamburger and Pie Company for their lunchtime burger fix.
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“We’ve been coming to this place. I mean, I was a little boy, I’ve been coming here for years and years and it’s such a staple in Richmond. It’s unbelievable that they’re closing,” said one longtime customer.
“They just, you know are super, really, really nice people great food, you know, historic spot here in town,” another customer said.
But now, this Point Richmond institution is closing its doors for good.
“The success that we have it’s because of this community,” Great American Hamburger and Pie Company owner George Koliavas said.
Koliavas says closing the family business and saying goodbye is difficult.
“We know everybody in the community,” he said. “We know there are good times throughout the lives for the past 30 years. We know their kids, and now we know the kids of their kids.”
The decision to close is based on numerous factors, including tough times during COVID, but the tipping point was a January lawsuit filed by a wheelchair-bound customer alleging the restaurant violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because it was not accessible to him
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“It’s really no different than any other civil rights statute. It’s no different than statutes that prohibit someone being excluded due to their race,” said the attorney of the man who filed the lawsuit, Irakli Karbelashvili. “This statute, you cannot be excluded due to your disability and that’s been around for decades. So it’s a very important civil rights statute.”
“I’m all for disability (act),” Koliavas said. “Yes, they need to have access everywhere. But if I can deliver this to the curb, you know, why not?”
Koliavas says his landlord wouldn’t pay for ADA upgrades so the decision was made to close, so now the family is thanking its longtime customers — serving up its last burgers and planning for the future.
“My wife is looking forward to a good vacation,” Koliavas said. “My son and I were thinking, and we have started a clothing fashion company called ‘Propre Moda.'”
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