Kum Wah restaurant reopened for business Thursday after a six-day shutdown by the Health Department for sanitation violations, the third closing in two months for the Chinese restaurant.
It turned out to be "just a usual day, nothing special," owner Albert Quaning said after going home Thursday night. But, he added, "it takes a while" for customers to come back after they've seen a restaurant closed.
His attorney, Clive Rivers, had accused environmental health director Ethlyn Joseph of shutting down the Mandela Circle restaurant Friday without giving Quaning fair warning. Rivers cited a section of the V.I. Code specifying that the "health commissioner may revoke a permit for serious or repeated violations after the violator has an opportunity to be heard."
Rivers said Wednesday night that Quaning was not given the required opportunity to be heard. He also said that "extreme" conditions endangering health would have to exist before a restaurant could be closed.
On Thursday Joseph replied, "Extreme conditions do exist – I could close Kum Wah every day." However, after reinspecting the restaurant late Wednesday, she said it could open Thursday. She reinspected the premises yet again Thursday morning and gave Quaning official permission to reopen.
Quaning estimated his losses being closed for five business days at $2,000 to $3,000. Kum Wah gets much of its business at lunch time, from cruise ship passengers and crew as well as locals, he said.
