New Accessibility App for the Blind at our Columbia City Store

After receiving a suggestion from a visually impaired customer to add audio tools to aid the blind community, we explored several options. We chose to pilot RightHear at our Columbia City location, which is less than two blocks away from a busy training center for the blind. The customer shared that while Google Maps and the Uber app facilitate reaching the destination, navigating inside remains a challenge.

RightHear, accessible through a smartphone app, offers verbal signage and navigation assistance within a location that has signed up for the service. After testing out the app, we’re impressed with its accuracy and design — and it’s free to users. Additionally, we are introducing braille and large-font menus across all our locations. 

To optimize the RightHear experience, we’re installing a sensor at the front door of our Columbia City store that will provide users with a precise location along with essential information like store hours. We're proud to be the first restaurant in Washington state to adopt this innovative technology. 

Josh Rommel, our Business Intelligence Analyst and an enthusiastic advocate for the disabled community, believes in accessibility for all. He says, “I believe everyone should be able to eat at our restaurant without asking someone where the front door is.” We couldn’t agree more.