G'S GOLDEN GATE Restaurant will reopen after outbreak

People have been calling to reschedule their banquets, an attorney says.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A west side restaurant that closed in June after a viral outbreak plans to reopen next week.
Tracie Gianoutsos of G's Golden Gate Restaurant, Catering and Banquet Facility, Parkman Road, said the restaurant's bar will reopen Tuesday and the full service restaurant will reopen Sept. 9.
"We're doing it for the customers," Gianoutsos said. "We're doing it for the people, for the west side of Warren."
250 people get ill
The city health board ordered the restaurant closed after about 250 people who attended a wedding reception catered by the restaurant fell ill.
The problem was linked to Norwalk virus, which is caused by ingesting fecal-contaminated food or water.
Employees had to complete an accredited food safety course before the business could reopen.
At a meeting Wednesday, health board members approved the reopening after learning that six employees, including the food preparation staff, had completed the food safety program last month.
The board also followed the recommendations of the department's food programs coordinator to require new kitchen employees to complete the course.
The restaurant also must conduct an in-house training session for all additional employees hired for catered events. That training must be conducted by the business before each catered event and supervised by the health department.
The board also required the facility to provide a monthly schedule of catered events and names of additional employees to work those events to the department.
Requests for reopening
Atty. Joseph Ohlin, who represents the business, said the restaurant has heard from many people asking for the business to reopen.
"We're pleased to see a lot of people have been rescheduling their banquets," Ohlin said.
Gianoutsos said if the same wedding reception were today, there's nothing she would do differently. She said it wasn't proved that the problem was caused by food or employees from Golden Gate.
"There was a lot of food that was brought in, custard-filled cookies sitting out for hours," she said.
Health department employees have said that the virus came from ready-to-eat food, or food that doesn't require cooking, listing rolls, salad contents and ice as examples.
Ohlin said the facility completed the requirements established by the health board and welcomes any inspections.
Margaret Scott, health board member, had a word of caution for the business.
"Please advise your client, don't come back," Scott told the attorney.