Dave Kent, 58, and his dog Chad were turned away from Franco Manca on Tottenham Court Road on Tuesday lunchtime.
Mr Kent who has been blind since he lost his sight 40 years ago during an operation, was meeting his friend for a business meeting at the restaurant at 1 pm when he was told by staff that he would not be allowed to enter with his dog.
“The person on the door presented the first challenge, she said we had to sit outside and would not be allowed inside the restaurant,” Mr Kent said.
“When I asked her why, she said it was because of the dog.
“Chad is clearly a guide dog, he had his white harness on and I’m there in a pair of shades,” he continued.
Mr Kent said the manager of the restaurant was called when he pressed the matter.
“When I saw the manager I produced my identification card which clearly states the law which says it is illegal to turn guide dogs away from establishments.”
However, Mr Kent was still told he would not be allowed to enter the restaurant.
“I said enough is enough and I left,” he said.
Mr Kent said he was left shocked and disappointed by the interaction.
He said Franco Manca had since apologised for the incident and offered him a voucher for a free meal in their restaurant.
But Mr Kent who is an engagement officer for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, said a voucher is not enough.
“They just think ‘give them a voucher and they will go away’.
“To have a manager at a corporate establishment be completely unaware of the rights afforded to people with disabilities was so heart-breaking,” he said.
“In London in 2018 it has become a free for all on people with disabilities… this happens everywhere, it happens in shops, it happens in supermarkets…people with disabilities are treated as third class citizens.”
Mr Kent said situations like the one he faced in Franco Manca made him lose faith in people.
“I just think where is your humanity? Where is your mercy? where is your sense of community?” He said.
“The older I get the sadder I get and the more gutted I feel that even with all the progress and all the campaigning, people still behave with impunity.”
A spokeswoman for Franco Manca said: "All service dogs are welcome in our pizzerias. This, unfortunately, is the result of an error from individual staff members in one restaurant. We are taking the relevant steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again and have spoken directly with the customer in question to apologise and ensure he knows he is welcome at any of our pizzerias."
