Calgary restaurant says AHS’ ‘mishandling’ of inspection caused ‘reputational damage’
Posted May 28, 2024 11:15 am.
Last Updated May 28, 2024 12:11 pm.
A restaurant in Calgary’s Mission neighbourhood is calling out Alberta Health Services for what it says was the “mishandling” of a routine inspection that has resulted in “significant reputational damage.”
Blowers & Grafton (B&G) Mission says an AHS inspector came to the business on Wednesday, May 22 for a routine inspection around 3 p.m.
As the inspection went on, the restaurant says staff were asked by the inspector if they had noticed any sewage in the basement as there was an apparent backup in nearby businesses. According to owners, staff said they were unaware of any backup.
However, upon closer inspection, the AHS inspetor found a small area of what they identified as sewage backup.
Staff apparently agreed the business should be closed, and asked the inspector to allow a voluntary closure, as they were unaware of the backup due to the small area it had affected. The inspector denied the request for a voluntary closure, according to B&G.
The restaurant was closed, and staff cleaned up the mess “immediately,” according to the restaurant.
The inspector then gave permission for B&G to be reopened the next morning, Thursday May 23.
B&G owners claim that while the inspector was at the restaurant they found an issue with the dishwasher in the basement. Staff apparently told the inspector the technician was on the way to fix the problem, and it was rectified at 3:37 p.m. The restaurant claims the inspector was onsite until 4:15 p.m.
The inspector also noted the lack of a two-compartment sink in the basement, which the restaurant claims has never been an issue during previous AHS visits, as well as the need for a light cleaning on the walls and ceiling of the upstairs kitchen, and garlic butter being stored at room temperature.
B&G says staff “immediately rectified matters” that were raised by the inspector.
READ MORE: Calgary Mission Blowers & Grafton gets an AHS closure order, rescinded next day
These issues are “routine occurrences in the daily business of a restaurant,” owners add, saying “none of them would be cause to issue a closure notice under different circumstances.”
“B&G takes food safety and handling matters very seriously and takes ownership of the minor infractions noted in the inspection report, but these were not the reason for the closure,” the restaurant continues.
It goes on to say staff were told the notice wouldn’t be posted publicly, as that is only required for closures of three days.
On Saturday, May 25, B&G says a closure notice was published by AHS on its site, suggesting the restaurant was closed for reasons other than the sewer backup.
“It suggested that the other, minor issues noted above were reasons for the closure (they were not) and were reasons to justify a closure (they were not),” restaurant owners say.
An order rescinding the closure was issued on Monday, May 27 — six days after the event, and five days after the restaurant says the issue was addressed and the business was reopened.
B&G claims the wrongful publication of the notice has caused B&G and its staff to suffer damage to their reputation and led customers to believe the restaurant was closed until May 27.
It now wants AHS to apologize for the mistake.
“To rectify those losses, we ask that AHS immediately release a short statement confirming that the issuance and publication of the notice was an error, that the restaurant was only closed for a total of six business hours because of a City of Calgary sewage backup that B&G was not responsible for (that affected many businesses in the area) and that the issues raised in the notice were all immediately rectified and were not the cause of any closure.”
CityNews has reached out to AHS for comment on the matter.
