By COLlive reporter
The usually bustling Ess and Bentch kosher eatery on Kingston Avenue in Crown Heights had its doors shut on Monday by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
But the owner Nadav Hadad wants everyone to know that it isn’t for reasons people may assume.
“The notice [about the closure] can be deceiving and people can use it to smear us,” he worried in a conversation with COLlive.com.
The restaurant, known for serving fast Mediterranean food just a block away from 770 Eastern Parkway, received 30 violation points during an inspection by the department.
The main reason? The bathroom for the employees was broken and workers needed to step outside to the upstairs Kollel to use the facilities.
“Establishment was previously cited for not providing a toilet facility for employees,” an inspector wrote. “Food service establishment was closed by Order of the Department of Health.”
Another reason for the closure was the leakage of water from a handwashing sink in the kitchen.
Hadad said he is working to have both utility issues corrected right away and hopes to reopen in the next few days.
To fix the bathroom, and it was denied. So what do they want from them?
So you close a business because they don’t have a bathroom on premises? How is that justified? I really don’t understand it. They’re causing the business to lose hundreds, if not thousands of dollars because the employees need to go upstairs to use the restroom, how does that make any sense? It’s completely disproportionate and makes no sense. Just another example of government overreach.
אוֹי מֶה הָיָה לָנוּ
Thanks for the explanation.
The owner had to know they’re at risk for getting written up. This should have been top priority.
Kind of like driving around with expired license plates and then complaining when the cop pulls you over.
It’s your responsibility to follow the laws.
Nadav do not worry ! This restaurant is one of the only places in crown heights that is relatively affordable and a family can order in if the mother is not up to cooking.Unfortunately there is not too many places like that in Crown Heights.
Include (meanwhile) in the lease one of the bathrooms upstairs until it gets fixed?
Will this work?
I feel so bad for him
Seems to me someone mossered on him
Mossered? Maybe the employees. Maybe the Kollel.
Seriously bush league not to have a working bathroom. Have you ever been an employee? Would you have tolerated it?
The problem is, once the government invade it’s a huge Chillul Hashem. If not the bathroom they’ll find something else, (which I’m sure they did) they have their eye out. & they purposely do it when it’s the highlight of the business. It’s nuts. Nobody is perfect. & the trouble is while they come in your stuck with a bunch of good customer’s & all they do is watch, & these inspectors don’t care AT ALL………very disgusting who our government are. They know how to embarrass good & proper. & be nice to you in front of your FACE!! but… Read more »
I agree with you on most things but in general the Govt has been decent about these things. All restaurants are subject to this and the Govt has been decent. They like the tax revenue.
It’s a simple solution. Handle your business.
Sorry for this comment in the wrong time but didnt see any other op-ed since it was discussed. Ess and bentsch was planning to open also in boro park. what happened? Was so looking forward to it.
DOH rules are there for good reasons. The rules are strict for good reasons. The wash your hands sign for employees is mandatory for a reason. Not having a bathroom with a self closing door is important too so food and bio-dangers are kept separate. I get what the owner is saying, but this was already written up. He has no excuse for not fixing this. It’s a little embarrassing that this wasn’t made a priority when it was already a violation. Saying the government at large is this or that is silly. The government is who WE elect. If… Read more »
If people only knew (cough, sneeze, shvitz, scratch scratch) what goes on in some restaurants, they would likely never (cough, cough) eat food from (shvitz, shvitz) a restaurant (wipes hands on a dirty towel) again.
Here is a case where (sneeze, sneeze, cough, cough, shvitz, head-scratch) people had to leave the building to go use a restroom.
It’s not asking too much to get that (oy gotta go!) fixed.