South Mpls. restaurant transcribes menu into braille, encourages others to do the same
MINNEAPOLIS -- For many, ordering at a restaurant is something we take for granted. But for people who are blind, it's not always an inclusive experience.
A south Minneapolis restaurant is trying to change that.
At the Howe Daily Kitchen & Bar, exploring the menu and placing an order hasn't always been as easy for customers who are blind, like Matthew.
Mary Rohr, manager of diversity, equity and inclusion for Craft & Crew Hospitality noticed that Matthew always ordered the same thing.
"I wanted to make sure he could try other things," Rohr said.
He inspired Rohr to work with the Minnesota State Services for the Blind to transcribe their menus into braille. Last week, Matthew used them for the first time.
"There's not anyone I know of, besides big corporate restaurants, that have braille menus, so that day he was able to read it and order something brand new, so it was pretty exciting," Rohr said.
The business says ordering these braille menus was easy and not a huge cost undertaking, that's why they hope other restaurants will do the same.
"You don't need to have 20 on hand, you can just have one you can pass around if need be,
it's something I think every restaurant has the capability of doing," Alex Huntress, general manager, said.
The braille menus can also be found at all six of Craft & Crew Hospitality's restaurant locations.
