PHOTOS: Dynasty restaurant closed down for poor sanitation; Frankies to follow

A defective gas cylinder in the kitchen had a stone on top of the regulator, probably to prevent a leakage of the gas.

Apart from Dynasty, two restaurants in the area—Noble House Chinese Restaurant and Frankies Hotel and Restaurant received cautions to rectify some anomalies in their operations or risk closure.

At Frankies, the team expressed concern about ongoing renovation works at the ground floor of the building, while some kitchen staff peeled onions nearby. There were also gas cylinders in the renovation area where electrical wires were dangling.

The restaurant, the AMA officials insisted, was operating without a Health Suitability Report; a permit that indicates that  the health check list of the AMA had been adhered to.

In the kitchen, most of the staff worked in inappropriate garbs and cobwebs were everywhere.

Management of the restaurant agreed to carry out the directives.

Interestingly, in all of these restaurants, the dining areas were clean and well decorated.

Confronted with anomalies, the Manager of Frankies, Mr Samir Taleb, who was apologetic, said he would ensure that the anomalies in the kitchen were rectified immediately.

He added that the ongoing renovation had given the restaurant space constraints but assured the AMA officials that the right thing would be done.

One of the rusted and uncleaned stoves in the Dynasty kictchenOne of the rusted and uncleaned stoves in the Dynasty kictchen

Dr Boateng observed that besides the cholera epidemic, the Melcom Disaster in November 2012 was still fresh on the minds of Ghanaians.

“We can’t joke with the life of a single person. It is important that where people patronise food should be kept in safe and hygienic conditions. That is a mandate I will not compromise,” he said.

He, therefore, directed the management of the facility to complete the renovation within a month or risk closure as public safety was important.

Dr Boateng discredited claims that the AMA was only targeting chop bar owners and said that the directorate would continue with the unannounced visits to “every place food is cooked and sold. This is not a selective exercise.”

Other places 

The team also went to KFC where the team expressed satisfaction with the general appearance of the kitchen and storage facilities.

It, however, urged management of Tip Top Chinese Restaurant to keep its kitchen windows clean; a suggestion that the manager of the restaurant agreed with. The restaurant’s manager  indicated that management had planned to change the window net  tomorrow.

Ahead of yesterday’s exercise, 30 chop bars were closed down at Agbogbloshie, also in Accra, for selling under unhygienic conditions last Tuesday.

On Tuesday, food items being sold by the chop bars were destroyed to prevent their sale to unsuspecting members of the public.