'Severe evidence of rodent droppings' helps close Avalon Mall restaurant

The former space for Taste of Mediterranean in the Avalon Mall food court sits mainly empty today, the lights turned off.

The restaurant which served a menu of Greek, Lebanese and other Mediterranean foods closed this spring after a series of failed government inspections.

On top of that, the business had rent issues with the Avalon Mall, the largest shopping centre in Newfoundland and Labrador.

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Even though inspection issues started more than a year ago, according to Service NL, the real tipping point came at the start of this year.

"In late January, a Service NL inspection identified unsanitary conditions at the Taste of the Mediterranean," Minister Dan Crummell said in a statement to CBC News.

"The business was given 24 hours to clean its facility and engage pest control."

A close look at the Service NL inspection reports lists "severe evidence of rodent droppings in all cupboards."

Inspectors continued weekly visits through the winter in order to ensure that Taste of Mediterranean was up to code.

It wasn't.

The followup inspections found persistent rodent problems, with inspectors noting droppings throughout the restaurant.

They also found a refrigerator with a temperature reading of 20 degrees Celsius, which meant its contents had to be thrown out.

Inspectors also found what's called "visible cross contamination" of food within a malfunctioning freezer.

Service NL closed the restaurant on March 17 until inspection requirements were met.

The restaurant never opened again.

'No longer a tenant'

Just three days later, Service NL said, the Avalon Mall's management informed government "that Taste of the Mediterranean was no longer a tenant of the mall."

Avalon Mall management will not comment on why Taste of Mediterranean officially closed.

At the time of its closure, the restaurant was also having rent issues.

• Search Service NL's restaurant inspections

This is according to a letter obtained by CBC News from a lawyer representing the mall and addressed to the leaseesof the space thatTaste of Mediterranean had held.

The letter, dated March 2, threatened to terminate the lease if close to $6,000 owing in rent was not paid. But in a statement to CBC, anofficial withTaste of Mediterranean's Toronto-based franchise headquarterssaid the closure of the St. John's location "had nothing to do with the rent," and said that all payments were up to date by the time the franchise wasclosed.

Meanwhile, a statement from the parent company placedthe blame on a switch in operators that took place in February.

"All our franchisees [come] for two weeks of training in Toronto and we were in discussion with her to come for training, if she would have come for training in advance, this location would still be open," the company said.

Meanwhile, inspection reports for nearby restaurants in the Avalon Mall food court show no issues with rodents.

Avalon Mall management say they require all restaurants to have reputable pest control companies on contract.