HOUSTON -- A northwest Harris County restaurant has promised to make changes after it denied a blind man with a guide dog service, KPRC Local 2 reported Monday.

The sign above the IHOP entrance at state Highway 249 near Spring Cypress Road reads "Welcome," but 22-year-old James Blaise said he did not feel very welcome.

Blaise has been blind since he was four years old.

"I had tumors on each retina," said Blaise.

To help him get around, his guide dog, Velour, goes with him everywhere.

"Velour is Jimmy's eyes. Velour loves Jimmy, guides Jimmy," said James Blaise's mother, Alex.

The mother and son recently went to the IHOP for lunch, along with Velour.

"We walked to the counter to be seated and the man said, 'I'm sorry, you can't enter. You have a dog,'" said James Blaise.

They showed Velour's ID card and explained that she is a seeing eye dog. They were still denied service.

James Blaise said that even after Harris County sheriff's deputies arrived, he was told no.

"It's frustrating because it shouldn't be that difficult," said James Blaise.

It's law that service dogs are allowed in restaurants, but apparently this employee was not aware. The general manager said the employee was not following standard operating procedure and that all are welcome. The manager said everyone who works there will be retrained.

"A handicapped person has to go through so many things, so many you cannot imagine," said Alex Blaise.

"I hope this doesn't happen to anyone else and I hope they train the staff properly. If they do, we'll be good to go and I'll still eat their crepes," said James Blaise.

Blaise filed a report with the Harris County Sheriff's Office and called IHOP headquarters to make a formal complaint.

After Local 2 got involved, the general manager called Blaise personally to apologize. The manager also invited him and Velour back to the restaurant and offered a gift card.