Health officials address spoiled food issues at closed Happy Days

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Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting

Limited access is allowed in a portion of the Happy Days restaurant to allow the restaurant owner/
operator and property owner to remove spoiled food and conduct necessary cleanup.

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STAR-ADVERTISER / AUG. 19

Police tape and warning signage are seen at the entrance to Happy Days restaurant on Waialae Ave.

The state Health Department says spoiled food has been removed from the kitchen area of the shuttered Happy Days Chinese Seafood Restaurant in Kaimuki following a partial roof collapse.

Professional cleaning
at the restaurant’s kitchen began Tuesday after approval by the restaurant’s insurer, and should be finished by Friday, according to the department in a news release. Due to structural hazards, however, crews are still unable to remove spoiled remains of dim sum left sitting on tables following the roof’s collapse.

Both the Hawaii Department of Health and City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting are responding to public complaints about the foul odor coming from the restaurant after it closed last month.

The popular eatery at
3553 Waialae Ave. was closed down after a portion of its roof collapsed on Aug. 18, injuring four women in their 80s who were having lunch.

Paramedics evaluated the four women at the scene, and took one to the hospital for treatment.

Following the collapse, DPP determined the structure was unsafe to occupy.

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The property owner is determining “the appropriate path forward,” officials said in a news release, which may include demolition. Officials also warned the public not to enter the building unless authorized to do so.

DOH’s vector control branch, meanwhile, visited the site today to “provide recommendations and ensure rodent and pest harborages were removed.”

“We understand the impact this situation has had on the Kaimuki community, particularly for nearby residents and businesses who have been affected by the conditions at the restaurant,” said DOH Director
Dr. Kenneth Fink in the release. “The department continues to work closely with our partners at DPP and the responsible parties to find a solution as quickly and safely as possible.”