ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Following closure from the Monroe County Health Department due a rat infestation, the owners of Balsam Bagels have confirmed that they will be re-opening for business, Thursday, March 16th.
The owners provided a letter from the health department, saying they passed an inspection Tuesday. News 8 has reached out to the county, but has not heard back.
Friday, the health department said that the shutdown was due to a “mouse infestation.”
A health inspector reported finding “large quantities of mouse droppings throughout the entire facility,” including in prep kitchens, service areas, basement storage, on storage shelves, on a bagel rolling machine, on a bagel toaster, and on a bagel slicer. Three dead mice were found in a variety of traps inside the restaurant.
The owners of the bagel shop sent a statement to News 8, saying that they are opening Thursday morning with new cleaning measures and protocols in place. They also say that a pest control expert will regularly monitor the space.
“We would like to reassure our customers and the community that the entire facility is clean and sanitized,” Rebecca and Roni Malek, the owners, said in a statement.
Read the owners’ full statement here:
After revisiting the store and reviewing the changes made, the Monroe County Health Department greenlighted us for re-opening. We will be open starting Thursday, March 16th at 7 a.m.
We would like to reassure our customers and the community that the entire facility is clean and sanitized.
We’ve introduced new daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning procedures into our schedule to maintain our facility in its current cleanly state. A certified pest control specialist implemented intense prevention measures and will continue to regularly monitor the space and eliminate issues swiftly should they arise.
We apologize again to our loyal customers and community- we know we let you down, and we thank you for your patience as we get back to business.
Rebecca and Roni Malek
Read the letter from the County Health Department here:
