14 DAY TRIAL // A restaurant in San Francisco has been ordered to close down over neighbors' complaints on the overpowering smell of bacon.
Upper Haight eatery Bacon Bacon was ordered by the city to shut down on Friday, the San Francisco Examiner reports.
Owners prepare drinks, meals, and ice cream using bacon at the popular diner. Issues brought up by residents concern the improper disposal of waste and, of course, the bacon smell.
Department of Public Health officials say that they have received numerous complaints on the smell felt in the neighborhood since the restaurant opened. While they claim to have warned the owners, no steps were taken to correct these issues.
“We allow businesses to operate for awhile under change of ownership. [...] But they didn’t meet the deadline,” director of environmental health regulatory programs Richard Lee says.
Owner Jim Angelus explains that he has tried to talk things over with the neighbors and has been trying to do so for the past year.
“It’s frustrating. [...] Two weeks ago, the health department showed up saying we had no permits. So we had a hearing and one person showed up saying they were opposed.
“They told us we had long enough to resolve these issues — and as a result, we have to cease operations May 17,” he describes.
He will be able to participate in another public hearing on the matter, but it could only be scheduled for July.
Neighbors claim that their complaints were not being taken into consideration by the management.
“My client offered to pay the restaurant owner money to install an air filter. [...] To date, the owner has not accepted that offer,” argues attorney Ryan Patterson, representing them in court proceedings.
Other safety issues have come up during the trial. Angelus did not have all the necessary health permits and he was parking his food truck illegally. He also needs a separate kitchen to prepare the dishes, one which meets safety standards.