A restaurant that was temporarily closed after accepting customers' dog pictures instead of COVID-19 vaccination proof has reopened
- A restaurant was ordered to shut after it accepted guests' dog photos in place of vaccination status.
- Staff made it seem like they were using a tablet to scan QR codes, per a health services order.
A restaurant in Canada, which was temporarily closed after accepting customers' dog pictures instead of COVID-19 vaccination proof, has reopened, The Calgary Head first reported.
On Friday, Alberta Health Services (AHS) ordered The Granary Kitchen, a Red Deer restaurant, to close its doors after complaints that staff were allowing guests to enter with a photo of a dog in place of QR codes showing their vaccination status.
Restaurants and bars in Alberta require all people who are 12 and older to show proof of vaccination, a recent negative COVID-19 test, or a medical exemption as part of the Restrictions Exemption Program (REP).
AHS said in the order that it conducted an investigation into the matter with two test shoppers who entered the restaurant after showing a picture of a dog.
Restaurant staff made it seem like they were using a tablet to scan QR codes on customers' phones — instead the customers were showing the staff members a photo of a dog, according to the AHS order.
The two test shoppers had to show personal identification before they were allowed to dine in the restaurant, the order said.
The AHS order said The Granary Kitchen would remain closed until the owners trained staff, attended an administrative hearing with Environmental Public Health, and submitted a plan to implement the REP in the restaurant.
The order was revoked after a meeting on Monday, The Calgary Head reported. The restaurant is actively taking bookings via a form on its website.
The Granary Kitchen didn't respond to Insider's request for comment.
The restaurant wrote in a Facebook post on Friday that it had "an unfortunate circumstance" involving one of its underage hostesses and was taking the weekend to retrain its team.