Mezzanine Dining: One Stair and No Accessible Route
A 9,000-square-foot, single-story Group A-2 restaurant is proposed in Type V-B construction without sprinklers. The design adds a 1,200-square-foot dining mezzanine with fixed tables and chairs and an occupant load of 80. The mezzanine is served by one open stair to the main dining floor; the main floor has two remote exits. The applicant argues that the mezzanine is less than 25 percent of the floor area, so it should not need a second stair and should not be required to provide an accessible route or accessible seating. No elevator or platform lift is proposed. The restaurant seats 320 on the main floor. The inspector must evaluate the mezzanine egress and accessibility obligations and decide whether the single open stair can serve 80 occupants.
1. Determine the required number of means of egress from the mezzanine. Does the single open stair comply?
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The mezzanine occupant load is 80. IBC Table 1006.2.1 requires two exits for an occupant load of 50 to 500. The mezzanine exception that permits one exit is limited to occupant loads of 50 or less, so 80 occupants exceed that threshold. The single open stair is therefore not sufficient as the only means of egress. The applicant must provide a second independent means of egress from the mezzanine, such as a second stair or a compliant ramp, and must verify egress width, travel distance, and handrail requirements. The fact that the mezzanine is less than 25 percent of the floor area does not override the exit-count table.
2. Is the mezzanine required to be accessible? What options are available to the applicant?
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The mezzanine contains fixed dining seating and is part of an assembly occupancy, so an accessible route and accessible seating are required unless a specific exception applies. The applicant's 25-percent argument is not a general accessibility exception. The applicant should identify the exact code exception it believes applies; absent a documented exception, the design must provide an accessible route to the mezzanine. Options include a ramp, an elevator, or a platform lift complying with ASME A18.1, provided the lift is not part of the required means of egress. The inspector should also require accessible seating dispersion and an accessible route from the accessible entrance to the mezzanine.
3. If the mezzanine is reduced to 600 square feet, does the single stair become acceptable?
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At 600 square feet, the occupant load is 600 / 15 = 40 occupants. That is within the mezzanine exception allowing one exit for occupant loads of 50 or less, so one stair may be acceptable if it meets egress width, travel distance, and enclosure requirements. However, the accessibility obligation does not automatically disappear. The applicant must still show that a specific accessibility exception applies or provide an accessible route to the dining area. The inspector should not approve the reduction solely on the exit-count change; both egress and accessibility must be satisfied.