********************************************************
The Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene has ordered two restaurants, one in Mong Kok, Kowloon, and another one in Kwai Chung, the New Territories, to suspend business for 14 days.
The operators repeatedly breached the Food Business Regulation by illegally extending the food business area and allowing staff to wash food utensils in an alley.
The restaurants, "Mei Foo Restaurant" and "Mei Sik Chi Yuen" were ordered to suspend business from today (July 11) to July 24.
"Mei Foo Restaurant" is located on the ground floor at 11 Tai Nan Street in Mong Kok, while "Mei Sik Chi Yuen" is located at Shop 1B on the ground floor and mezzanine floor of Mai Ning Building at 1 Mei Fong Street in Kwai Chung.
"Two convictions for illegal extension of the food business area were recorded against each food establishment, in April this year for 'Mei Foo Restaurant' and in last January and April for 'Mei Sik Chi Yuen'," a spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said.
"Total fines of $6,000 and $1,800 were levied by the court against the licensees of 'Mei Foo Restaurant' and 'Mei Sik Chi Yuen' respectively.
"A total of 30 demerit points was also registered against each of the licensees under the department's demerit point system. The contraventions resulted in the 14-day business suspension," he added.
The licensee of "Mei Foo Restaurant" had a record of two convictions for the same offence in September and November last year. A fine of $4,800 was levied and 30 demerit points were registered. The breaches led to business suspension for seven days in February this year.
Meanwhile, the licensee of "Mei Sik Chi Yuen" had a record of two convictions for allowing staff to wash food utensils in an alley and extending the food business area illegally in July 2009 and October 2010 respectively. A fine of $1,750 was levied and 15 demerit points were registered. The breaches led to business suspension for seven days in last September.
The spokesman reminded licensees of food premises to comply with the Food Business Regulation or their licences could be suspended or cancelled.
Ends/Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:08
NNNN
