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SOUTHEAST TEXAS RECORD

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Penny wants dollars

Our View
Law money 08

“We really, really enjoyed it here. Great food and great atmosphere,” says Donna R. in her five-star Yelp review of Republic Chicken in Beaumont. “Man, it was delicious! We will definitely be going back.”

“Family-style home cookin' in an old house! This place rocks, and the food and the service are awesome!” gushes John P.

“Best restaurant, hands down, in Beaumont!!!” raves Ronnie B., deploying exclamation points with wild abandon. “My favorite: Chicken Fried Prime Rib-eye!!! Unlimited salad, biscuits, and sides!!! You have to try this place! After that, you'll go back often!!!”

Sounds good, doesn't it? If you've never eaten there before, you might want to try it at your earliest convenience. Those who have eaten there and are looking forward to going back –  like Donna R., John P., and Ronnie B. – might want to plan a return visit sooner than later.

That's because Republic Chicken is being sued by Penny Ratcliffe. of Hardin County, whose Yelp review, if she had written one, would fail to mention the delicious food, generous main portions, unlimited sides, friendly service, and historic surroundings and focus instead on a flight of stairs on the premises that had only one handrail.

Imagine that! Only one handrail! (Unlike Ronnie B., we prefer to conserve our exclamation points and dole them out one at a time.) 

How many handrails does a person need? Surely, one suffices. Who holds on to more than one handrail at a time?

Ratcliffe filed suit against Republic Chicken on April 12 in Jefferson County District Court, seeking up to $1 million in damages for the injuries she allegedly sustained last June from falling down steps there.

“The first flight of stairs had handrails on each side. The second flight only had one,” the suit states. “This meant plaintiff could not properly support herself as she walked down the stairs.”

Republic Chicken offers unlimited sides, not unlimited handrails. The restaurant has a 4½-star rating on Yelp. Not one negative review. No one mentioned the handrails.

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