Alberta Health: Cockroach Infestation Shuts Downtown Restaurant
Cockroach infestation leads to closure of Japanese Village.
CALGARY, AB — Japanese Village, a downtown restaurant at 317 10th Ave. SW, was ordered shut by Alberta Health Services on January 29 after inspectors documented a cockroach infestation and a cascade of kitchen violations that read like a health code horror show.
The closure order—issued under the Public Health Act and Alberta's Food Regulation—cited not just the roaches, but a mechanical dishwasher that couldn't sanitize, grease and food debris coating surfaces, product stored directly on floors, and staff attempting DIY pest control with pesticides. Five or more food handlers on-site lacked valid certification.
Part of a Pattern
Japanese Village isn't an outlier. It's the latest domino in a string of Calgary restaurant shutdowns over the past six weeks. African Variety Store caught the same fate on January 29. Abbie's Bakery closed January 27. Kambal Kusina went dark January 20. La Fritanga was shuttered January 9. Two Floyd's Lechon Cebu locations got closure orders on December 19.
The common thread: AHS public health inspectors wielding the authority to lock doors when operators fail baseline sanitation standards.
The Business Hit
For Japanese Village, the math is blunt. Every day closed is lost revenue. Reopening requires professional pest remediation, a full kitchen teardown and scrub, equipment repairs or replacement, and staff certification—all before AHS returns for re-inspection. Non-compliance under the Act can trigger fines on top of the sunk costs.
As of today, there's no public record of a follow-up inspection or clearance. The restaurant remains offline while the owners work through the corrective action list AHS handed them a week ago.
What Happens Next
Japanese Village must document every fix—extermination reports, equipment testing, sanitation protocols, staff training certificates—then notify AHS. Inspectors will return unannounced. Only a clean sweep reopens the doors. The timeline is entirely in the operator's hands, and the clock is expensive.
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