Calgary pizzeria ordered to close dining room after serving food to laid-off staff, manager says
Dine-in service is currently not allowed in Alberta
Alberta Health Services ordered a restaurant to close to in-person dining last week after an inspector reported finding people from different households sitting near each other, enjoying a self-service buffet and alcohol.
But the manager of Little Tavern Pizza Project, in the southwest Calgary neighbourhood of Strathcona Park, says it was actually a staff meeting.
"We never offered dine-in service to anyone from the 13th on," said Keith Luce.
The province had ordered restaurants and pubs to close their dining rooms on Dec. 13, in order to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Alberta.
Luce said the buffet the health inspector witnessed was a meal served for recently laid-off staff and a chance to test new menu items.
"We were trying to make good on a bad situation," he said.
AHS has ordered the restaurant to close its dining room, and Luce said he has complied.
Clarifications
- An earlier version of this story suggested the restaurant was ordered closed entirely, when in fact it was ordered to not offer in-person dining as stipulated by the public health order.Dec 31, 2020 8:41 AM MT
With files from Reid Southwick.