Blowers & Grafton, a Calgary restaurant, claims that a public closure order from Alberta Health Services (AHS) has severely harmed its reputation. The restaurant is demanding AHS to rectify the situation.
Routine Inspection Leads to Closure Notice
Blowers & Grafton, a restaurant in Calgary known for its Halifax street food, has faced significant reputational damage due to a publicly posted closure order from Alberta Health Services (AHS). The restaurant is now demanding that AHS make amends for the damage caused.
Sewer Backup Dispute
The closure notice was issued after a routine inspection at their Mission location on May 22.
According to Blowers & Grafton, the closure was linked to a sewer backup in the area, which the inspector pointed out during the visit. The restaurant staff was unaware of any sewer issues and had not seen any evidence of one in the building.
However, the inspector identified a small area believed to be part of the problem. When the staff offered to close voluntarily to address the issue, the inspector denied the request.
The inspection continued, revealing several other issues, such as problems with the dishwasher, sinks, cleaning procedures, and food storage. Blowers & Grafton stated that these were routine issues in the daily operations of a restaurant, and some were unexpected. For instance, the lack of a two-compartment sink had never been mentioned in previous inspections
Unexpected Public Notice
Despite being told no report would be published online, AHS posted the closure order on its website on May 25.
The restaurant claims the notice wrongly suggested the closure was due to reasons other than the sewer backup, which was beyond their control.
Impact on Reputation
The public notice quickly spread on social media and was picked up by news outlets, leading to online attacks against Blowers & Grafton staff and ongoing media inquiries about the incident. The restaurant is now calling on AHS to correct the misinformation and mitigate the damage done to their reputation.
