When dining at local coffee shops, it’s normal for us to expect that their washrooms aren’t going to be spanking clean.
But coffee shop owners are still tasked with keeping the premises decently hygienic. Otherwise, they would have to face the music after rounds of frequent inspection by the authorities.
Recently, however, a coffee shop in Queenstown was found with dirty toilets on 3 occasions over a 12-month period.
Hence, they were ordered to close for 1 day and fined $1,300.
According to Singapore Food Agency’s press release last Friday (24 Sep), 7 Stars Coffee Shop at 85 Dawson Road had been ordered to suspend operation for a day.
This came after the kopitiam accumulated 12 demerit points over a period of 12 months.
The demerit points were from all from the same offence of failing to keep their toilets clean. Each offence carries 4 demerit points. No further details were given.
After receiving the notice, the coffee shop suspended operations on 24 Sep itself.
Besides having to close for the day, the coffee shop operators were also fined a total of $1,300 for the offences.
SFA advises customers to avoid patronising food establishments with poor hygiene practices and instead, provide feedback via SFA’s website here or contact them at 6805 2871.
When visited by Shin Min Daily News reporters on 26 Sep, the toilets reportedly looked extremely clean.
However, a patron pointed out that this wasn’t the case prior to the closure and that the restrooms were grossly unhygienic before.
Others felt that the cleanliness level was still acceptable. One customer even told the Chinese newspaper that before this, he would use the toilets only if he found the conditions to be bearable.
Some also pointed out that the coffee shop experiences high footfall regularly. Hence, we can’t pin the blame entirely on the kopitiam‘s cleaners as they do clean the washrooms from time to time.
Though it might be unrealistic to expect spotless toilets at our coffee shops, cleanliness levels must still be at an acceptable standard.
The last thing we want is for our restrooms to become a breeding space for pests, which might, in turn, contaminate the hawkers’ food preparation spaces.
Know any coffee shops with extremely dirty toilets? Share your experiences in the comments below.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Google Maps.
"POP MART does not have any official licensed partners in Singapore," it said.
51% of Singapore's average monthly rainfall in November fell in northern Singapore over less than…
He made sure all the passengers were served before taking a slice for himself.
The doctor recommended a 2-week gap between manicures to allow nails to recover.
The dog stayed with its owner until she was discharged.
Plus, stand a chance to win a BYD electric car.