LIHUE — Genki Sushi will reopen today, one week after health officials gave the restaurant chain the OK. The restaurant received its clean bill of health after DOH closed its doors Aug. 15, following an outbreak of hepatitis A throughout
LIHUE — Genki Sushi will reopen today, one week after health officials gave the restaurant chain the OK.
The restaurant received its clean bill of health after DOH closed its doors Aug. 15, following an outbreak of hepatitis A throughout the state.
Kauai’s Genki Sushi location completed a $300,000 renovation that included the installation of an interactive, automated Bullet Express ordering and delivery system.
The system follows a $1.3 million renovation at the Kauai location last year that included expanding seating capacity to 80, adding new equipment and updating the restaurant’s look.
Doors are scheduled to reopen at 11 a.m. today.
“We appreciate our customers’ patience, understanding and support while we worked with the Department of Health and simultaneously focused on completing renovations in order to reopen the Kukui Grove restaurant,” said Mary Hansen, chief administrative officer, Genki Sushi USA Inc.
Meantime, another food service worker on Oahu has been diagnosed with hepatitis A.
The Hawaii Department of Health said Thursday a seafood handler working in the Sam’s Club warehouse in Pearl City was sickened.
They say the employee works for the Sam’s Club vendor Ohana Seafood. Officials say it’s unlikely that patrons of the business will become infected.
The health department has confirmed 271 cases of hepatitis A since the outbreak began in late June.
Health officials have identified frozen scallops imported from the Philippines as the probable source of the outbreak. The Philippine government has temporarily suspended distribution of the seafood in question.
Hawaii officials expect to continue seeing new cases of hepatitis A because of the long incubation period for the disease.
DOH cleared Genki’s restaurants on Kauai and Oahu to reopen after full compliance on Sept. 9. One of those conditions was that none of Genki Sushi employees scheduled to work for the opening tested positive for hepatitis A.
Genki’s 10 restaurants on Oahu reopened Sept. 10.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
