Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Burnaby restaurant's licence suspended over COVID compliance issue

They were caught with 20-25 people dining inside, despite prior warnings to cease operations under the province's public health orders
dahlak-restaurant
Dahlak Restaurant. Photo: Google Maps

A Burnaby restaurant has lost its business licence for six months for failing to obey provincial health orders in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Restaurants were ordered to close dine-in services on March 20, as the B.C. government quickly escalated its coronavirus responses. But five days after that order was issued, the city got a complaint that Dahlak Restaurant, which serves East African food, remained open.

The following day, on March 26, the city contacted the restaurant’s owner, Amanuel Kidan, and a business licence officer cautioned him to obey provincial orders. He was further warned the city would conduct periodic inspections to ensure compliance.

Two days later, an RCMP officer visited the restaurant, which appeared to be closed, with the “open” sign turned off and the front door locked. But when the officer looked inside, he reportedly saw 20 to 25 people inside. When he asked to be let in, the people inside ran out the back door, into the alley.

Police reported finding evidence of food being prepared and eaten inside and of a card game. Seating was arranged in a way that “'individuals sitting would be shoulder-to-shoulder,” according to a staff report to council.

Kidan was also on site, and police reported telling him Fraser Health and the city would be notified, and a fine or closure order could be forthcoming.

Working with Fraser Health, the city decided to cancel Kidan’s business licence – a decision Kidan appealed to city council, which heard the matter in a hearing Monday afternoon.

Michael Golden, legal counsel for Kidan, wrote the city and submitted security video evidence that mostly centred on the number of people inside the restaurant.

In one video, according to Golden’s written submission, only five people can be seen leaving the restaurant. Another video, taken on another day, depicted the rear area of the restaurant, where the people had been gathered.

“The purpose of the video is to demonstrate that there is not adequate room at the rear of the restaurant to comfortably seat 20 to 25 people,” Golden wrote.

According to staff in the city clerk’s office, council voted unanimously for a six-month licence suspension.

Read more from the Burnaby NOW