After north-side Japanese restaurant Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet was shut down this summer by the Springfield-Greene County Health Department and then reopened, the restaurant's operators now say the eatery will close for good this month.
In a
Facebook post, Hibachi Grill officials said the 1950 E. Kearney St. restaurant would shut its doors permanently Sept. 14.
"We wish to thank our many customers for their business over the last few years," officials wrote, noting customers with gift certificates could redeem them through the closing date this Sunday.
Called this morning, a Hibachi Grill employee said the company had "no comment" on the closure.
Hibachi Grill shut down for 12 days after the Springfield-Greene County Health Department found 14 critical violations, including live cockroaches in various areas of the restaurant and an inability of the person in charge to demonstrate sufficient food-safety knowledge. After closing July 10, the department gave the green light for a July 22 reopening, according to
Springfield Business Journal archives.
In its most recent inspection of Hibachi Grill on Sept. 3, the Health Department found three critical violations, all related to improper walk-in cooler temperatures. The restaurant has been inspected or reinspected nine times this year; critical violations were found in all but two of those inspections, according to the department's
website.
The former home of a Ryan's buffet, Hibachi Grill was opened in May 2012 by Aaron Wu and Cindy Yeng in 12,000 square feet with 256 seats, 12 buffet tables and a hibachi grill station, according to
SBJ archives.[[In-content Ad]]