Mice infestation leads to closure of food establishments

Five food service establishments — including three restaurants and a meat market — in a single block on Portage Avenue were closed by health inspectors for several days after a rodent infestation was discovered.

The Amantran restaurant and Tiffin Nation, both at 1811 Portage Ave., were the first to be ordered closed on Dec. 30, and, after additional inspections were performed, Sushi Edoichi and the Arirang Meat Market, at 1799 Portage Ave., and Dduck Sa Rang, at 1803 Portage Ave., were shuttered on Dec. 31.

The five businesses were cited for failing to take effective measures against the entry and presence of rodents and preparing food in unsanitary conditions.

All have since reopened after making improvements and getting the green light from inspectors.

A provincial spokeswoman said the first inspection found a severe rodent infestation.

“Due to the severity of the situation, all food establishments within the plaza were subsequently inspected.”

The situation was so bad that the original health inspector was joined by a team of five others for additional inspections.

The inspections concluded “structural issues throughout the plaza created entry points that allowed rodents to access the businesses.”

Provincial health inspectors have closed 12 food-related businesses since early December.

Others include:

• the Ocean King Restaurant, at 1800 Main St., for failing to take effective measures to stop rodents from entering and not protecting food from contamination,
• the Asia Palace, at 1941 Pembina Hwy., for failing to take effective measures to stop rodents from entering, and
• Chuck’s Roadhouse Bar and Grill in Steinbach, which prepared food under insanitary conditions and not having hot enough water for cleaning.

The owner of Amantran, who did not give his name, said he had to close his year-old restaurant for 16 days, but he says it is the landlord who should have dealt with structural issues to the building.

“The building is very old and has not been maintained,” the owner said. “I said you need to take care of it. The issue has been here since before I came in.”

The owner said he came to Winnipeg from overseas to study at the University of Manitoba eight years ago and saved his money to open a restaurant.

“It’s my first restaurant and I dreamed of opening a business here,” he said. “I invested all of my savings into this restaurant and I’m regretting it today.”

The owner of Dduck Sa Rang, also known as the Rice Cake House, said he believes mice made their way inside his restaurant after they got into Amantran.

“We have never had a problem with mice,” the owner, who didn’t divulge his name, said. “We’ve been here for three years and never had a problem with mice.

“At the end of the day, the health department shut us down because of the mouse droppings. Until they came, we didn’t notice anything because we were too busy.”

The owner since hired a pest control company, he said, and has had no further trouble with mice.

“We are perfectly healthy now,” he said.

The owner of the building did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

Lincoln Poulin, president of Poulin Pest Control, said it is a common story that once mice get into one restaurant they can spread.

“Being in Manitoba and Winnipeg, we go from plus 30 in the summer to six months later minus 30, so shifting and cracking of buildings is always a concern,” Poulin said.

“And, right now, the snow is so high around a building you can’t do a complete inspection to see if there are holes. But, if you can’t keep the mice out, there will always be a problem.”

Poulin said the best advice he can give building and restaurant owners is keep their doors closed — don’t prop them open for deliveries — seal all cracks and holes, and put up two-metre high metal barriers to cover and block the thin space separating separate buildings.

“That will stop the mice from getting in between and finding a hole,” he said. “Their main thing in life is survival and they will do what they have to to survive.”

Shawn Jeffrey, executive director and CEO of the Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association, said it can give helpful advice to small restaurants, even if they may not be members, from everything from issues with landlords to pest control.

“We’re here to support them,” Jeffrey said. “I feel for this operator but, at the same time, I also applaud Manitoba Health for continuing to make places safe for Manitobans.

“My recommendation is no matter what your landlord is providing, if you need to go up and over that, do that. An extra $50 or $100 a month (for pest control) so you can make $1,000 is a good investment.”

Meanwhile, a provincial spokesperson said more people have come forward complaining they got sick in a suspected food poisoning after eating at the Victoria Inn on Jan. 31.

“Twenty-seven individuals have reported illness and symptoms consistent with viral gastroenteritis,” the spokesperson said, adding health inspectors continue to investigate the possible outbreak.

Several people attending a weekend event at the hotel contacted the Free Press complaining they had symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, and high fever after eating at a buffet at the hotel’s restaurant.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca