1 April 2012

Cafe Garema feels the banhammer

| johnboy
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cafe garema prohibition notice

Pantsman has sent in the latest victim of the newly energised food safety inspection regime, Cafe Garema in Civic.

If you see one of these around town be sure to send it in to images@the-riotact.com .

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GardeningGirl said :

1. Does that imply there is a return visit to see if the problem/s have been fixed?

It would appear so. The process seems to be 1- get an improvement order 2- fail to rectify issue in improvement order get a prohibition order.

So on the one hand it was clever to hang the notice up so everyone could know exactly what the problem was, but on the other it does make them look a bit slack given that they had two weeks notice to do something.

GardeningGirl1:25 pm 02 Apr 12

davo101 said :

Someone had stuck up on the next window a copy of the inspection report. From my very quick read I thought it was interesting that:

1. The date of the inspection was the 16th but the closure was effective from the 30th–so you do seem to get some sort of warning that there is a problem.

2. They were failed for not having splash backs installed.

3. They also failed because of cockroach infestation, but there was a note indicating that the cafe was constantly baiting but it was still a problem. Anyone what to bet that cockroaches don’t just hang out in one kitchen and that all of the eating establishments in that building probably need to start an ant-roach campaign?

1. Does that imply there is a return visit to see if the problem/s have been fixed?

2. So what was there, something not hardwearing and cleanable I assume? That should be taken care of before a food outlet opens for business on day one!

3. I have some sympathy. In an old building shared with other businesses including other food outlets the building owner should be required to have a proper plan.

Well I don’t think these red notices are doing much to dissuade customer from returning.

Gus’s was open again today, I walked past this morning well before lunch (on the way back from one of Canberra’s best coffee places I might add).

A few people outside, a few people ordering at the counter inside, and heaps of tables inside taken.

Guess I shouldn’t be surprised, for a place that so consistently is said to have bad coffee and overpriced food, if people we’re flocking in before, why would a health prohibition notice put them off?

JazzyJess said :

Where the heck is it? A quick Google search proved futile.

Next to Essen.

Furry Jesus said :

I work in Civic, walk through Garema Place every day, but I’ve never noticed this cafe by name. Where is it?

Where the heck is it? A quick Google search proved futile.

devils_advocate10:07 am 02 Apr 12

davo101 said :

Anyone what to bet that cockroaches don’t just hang out in one kitchen and that all of the eating establishments in that building probably need to start an ant-roach campaign?

Negative externality >>>>> cockroach tax.

Someone had stuck up on the next window a copy of the inspection report. From my very quick read I thought it was interesting that:

1. The date of the inspection was the 16th but the closure was effective from the 30th–so you do seem to get some sort of warning that there is a problem.

2. They were failed for not having splash backs installed.

3. They also failed because of cockroach infestation, but there was a note indicating that the cafe was constantly baiting but it was still a problem. Anyone what to bet that cockroaches don’t just hang out in one kitchen and that all of the eating establishments in that building probably need to start an ant-roach campaign?

I wonder if by chance Silo passed an inspection days before their problems, and the inspectors got burnt by that and are now dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s on every inspection they do as a reaction to that?

Seriously doubt there is a conspiracy afoot…

…maybe instead of being complacent about the state of the work areas, these eateries could just try… cleaning a bit more often?

You know, like they are supposed to?

Of course, I feel sorry for the kitchenhands in these places, they are probably never given enough time to clean properly in any case… who wants to pay for staff to spend their time on something so irrlevant to putting plates in front of people??

I helped a colleague strip out a “greasy spoon” type takeaway somewhere in south Canberra about 20 years ago. The last tenants had been evicted and the owner of a shop nearby quipped that after they left, cockroaches carrying suitcases were seen to be leaving also. The deep fryers were still full of putrid cooking oil and a large dead rat was floating in one. In my younger days I worked in a takeaway in a NSW country town. The owner used to bath his infants in the sink every night and then use the same water to “wash” the cooking and serving implements.
“What the eyes doesn’t see, the stomach doesn’t know about”

I think you just answered your own question there El!

JimiBostock said :

I am starting to smell a rat and it ain’t rats in the kitchen but overzealous bureaucrats – maybe I am wrong but have heard that some of the recent places hit by closure are watching closely with the view to class action – think it might be time for ACT gov to check if good intentions are not running riot here

Maybe instead of instigating legal action, they should consider cleaning their kitchens, refrigeration systems and equipment of the trade to the expected level. Just a thought.

I’m waiting for someone to produce their own green sign, with a great big ‘OPEN’ printed on it, along with details about how they were inspected by ACT Health, and found to be operating within guidelines. With the increasing number of places being closed down, that’d have to be a pretty good advertisement for their business.

Little_Green_Bag3:52 pm 01 Apr 12

JimiBostock said :

I am starting to smell a rat and it ain’t rats in the kitchen but overzealous bureaucrats – maybe I am wrong but have heard that some of the recent places hit by closure are watching closely with the view to class action – think it might be time for ACT gov to check if good intentions are not running riot here

This reminds me of the restaurant reviews in The Canberra Times in the 1970s and ’80s. Week after week there would be glowing reviews of various nosheries, even those which everybody knew were terrible. Later that decade Ian Warden in the CT actually admitted that in order to get a good review, the restaurant in question would have to give the reviewer a free meal. Waiters knew when writing the docket they had to put CT-NC on it (Canberra Times, No charge).

Could it be possible that a similar system of payola exists now with the health inspectors? It wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility.

JimiBostock said :

I am starting to smell a rat and it ain’t rats in the kitchen but overzealous bureaucrats – maybe I am wrong but have heard that some of the recent places hit by closure are watching closely with the view to class action – think it might be time for ACT gov to check if good intentions are not running riot here

You could always FOI to see which places are being targeted. this would also tell you which ones are ‘good’

JimiBostock said :

I am starting to smell a rat and it ain’t rats in the kitchen but overzealous bureaucrats – maybe I am wrong but have heard that some of the recent places hit by closure are watching closely with the view to class action – think it might be time for ACT gov to check if good intentions are not running riot here

Dunno about that Jimi, I suppose they could argue they should be compensated for the costs of complying with a more rigorous regime. But I’m not sure they’d want to go there.

I am starting to smell a rat and it ain’t rats in the kitchen but overzealous bureaucrats – maybe I am wrong but have heard that some of the recent places hit by closure are watching closely with the view to class action – think it might be time for ACT gov to check if good intentions are not running riot here

Come on Rioters- conspiracy theory opportunity being missed here! Brodburger just opened … and we know the ACT Govt REALLY wants them to succeed! : )

Where were the rats from Gus’ supposed to go?

I work in Civic, walk through Garema Place every day, but I’ve never noticed this cafe by name. Where is it?

I see this becoming a new badge of honor with this many being issued, it sort of dilutes the impact or are our food outlets really that bad.

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