The Traveling Wheelchair

Providence Place Mall
94 Providence Place
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: 401-270-4010
http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/

My brother Dave invited my friends, aunt, mom, dad and me to celebrate Father’s Day at Cheesecake Factory in Providence. Cheesecake Factory in Providence is wheelchair accessible with only a few minor problems.

Dave and I think our dad is the ‘Best’ Father’ in the whole wide world! He is very devoted, special and loving and has always been there for my mom and both of us.

There are plenty of handicap parking places inside the Providence Place Mall parking garage and close to the entrance. There are two entrances; one from inside the parking garage leads to the upper dining level and the street entrance leads to the lower level dining area. My friends and I entered from the parking garage; the entry door is not automatic but plenty wide for my chair. Once you enter here is a long hallway leading to the upper dining room of the Cheesecake Factory.

Located off this hallway is a Men’s and Women’s restroom. Both are spacious, wheelchair accessible and fully ADA compliant; except the pipe under the accessible sink is not covered as is ADA required. The faucet, soap and towel dispenser are all within my reach.

Once you enter the second level dining area, you will need to check in at the hostess desk located on the lower level before you are seated. This is a multi level restaurant with stairs in a few different areas; there are no sloped walkways like inside the Cheesecake Factory at Prudential Center. Yet there is a nice wheelchair lift to get you from ‘upper to lower’ and ‘lower to upper level’; an employee is always around to help you operate the lift. Kate went on the lift with me but it was a little crowded.

The upper dining area is spacious and the aisles between the tables are wide enough to fit my chair with ease. The tables are not set too close together so it is easy to access any table. The booths on this level are not accessible but there are plenty of tables that are all of a perfect wheelchair accessible height.

Outdoor dining is available on the lower level which is the street level; it is a small dining area but the tables are wheelchair accessible; all tables have umbrellas to protect you from the hot sun or rain!!

The hostess kindly greeted us and showed us to our table located on the lower level. The lower level dining area has some tall bar style tables set in the middle that are not accessible for they are too tall. These tables are set very close together without enough room for me to wheel pass them to access our table. I felt bad because a few customers had to get out of their seats and move so I could pass by. A bar located in this dining area is not accessible either for it is too high. Two flat screen TVs are placed on the wall above the bar is easy for all customers to see; plus it had closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing!

We were finally seated at our table; the inner side had a booth seat and the outer side had removable chairs where I sat comfortably. The table is of a perfect height. Our waitress was very friendly, courteous and polite; the service and food was delicious.

This Cheesecake Factory has a menu printed in large print and Braille. Our waitress told us all Cheesecake Factory restaurants have this menu available upon request. This really impressed us for it is very helpful for persons who are blind or have visual problems to be able to read the menu on their own.

While heading back to the chair lift to get to the upper level, we passed by the desert bar; all the deserts looked delicious and all deserts are easy to see while seated in my wheelchair; but we passed right by :>) 

I went back up in the wheelchair lift alone this time for there really isn’t much room for a companion. We all enjoyed our meal and experience at Cheesecake Factory in Providence and would highly recommend it to all. The employees, service and food all deserve FIVE STARS!

I give Cheesecake Factory in Providence THREE STARS for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn the other Two Stars they would need to install automatic entry doors so a person in a wheelchair can enter independently; space the tables further apart on the lower dining area so a wheelchair can pass by without disturbing customers; lower a section of the bar to a wheelchair accessible height; and place protective covering around the exposed pipes under the accessible restroom sink which is ADA required.

KENNY & COMPANY WISH All YOU DAD’S A HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!