A Grand Rapids restaurant that re-opened Friday was met with a surprise inspection.
Shortly before noon, several people gathered at XO Asian Cuisine to show their support. The restaurant was shut-down by the Kent County Health department last week due to several health code violations.
Shane Gahlau was one of the first to arrive: "I want to give them a second chance and let them know that the community supports them regardless of the health code violation."
The restaurant signed an agreement with the Kent County Health Department that it would close and fix 30 violations. They ranged from improper storage of raw meat to cross contamination.
The violations could have made customers violently ill with listeria, shigella or salmonella. Over the years, people have reported illnesses to the health department, citing XO Asian cuisine as a cause of the contamination.
No source could ever be found but the restaurant continued to have health violations.
"I just want to say I'm sorry, apologize to the customers," says owner Osmond Chan. He says he spent the week cleaning, doing repairs, and training employees about proper food handling.
"The important is; we need to train all employee on every single procedure, so we're right, with health department request."
Health department officials conducted another surprise inspection Friday afternoon. Inspectors tested food temperatures and food-handling during the two-hour inspection. The restaurant passed.
That means it can stay open, if it maintains a record of zero violations for the next year.
"I have confidence that we will provide the best food and service to our customers," Chan said. "I hope they will come to try."