Public health officials have cleared the Queen Live Food Market to reopen a day after the venue was shut down because of mice that were spotted binging on baklava in the display windows.
The marketplace at Queen and John streets leases space to a number of food vendors.
Over the weekend, a passerby noticed two mice feasting on a tray of baklava in a display window late at night and captured the rodents on a cellphone video.
One of the owners of the baklava shop has since said that the display tray left out overnight was meant as a kind of advertisement and its contents was never served to or intended for customers.
She said the building has had problems with mice in the past and said that management needs to do more to keep the rodents at bay.
The building’s managers said they regularly have the premises inspected for rodents and deal with the issue when it comes up.
The city shuttered the building Monday and ordered the store and other stalls to disinfect all surfaces and to cover all food – even that just meant for display – going forward.
Late on Tuesday afternoon, a sign in the window indicated that health inspectors have given the baklava shop and the rest of the building a green light following the cleanup.
One vendor had already reopened and another was inside preparing food for tomorrow.
The building is owned by the city, but run by another operator under a long-term lease.
