WICKER PARK — D&D Liquors and Pita Cafe, two neighboring Wicker Park businesses owned by a father and son, were abruptly closed Friday afternoon during a visit from inspectors representing various city departments.
But what has the store owners particularly upset is that they claim a city inspector questioned their immigration status during the visit.
Spokeswomen from the Chicago Department of Public Health and the city Department of Buildings say they are looking into the allegations.
The shops — in a strip mall at the northwest corner of Damen Avenue and Division Street — have city notices on the doors prohibiting entry.
One of the owners said the alleged building violation at D&D involved faulty wiring. City building inspection records show that on March 4, the store was told to "repair all problems cited by the city electrical inspector."
The health department violations, which resulted in a suspension of Pita Cafe's business license, included an "outside grease container not maintained," a hand sink in the kitchen prep area not properly draining and no soap or paper towels at the hand sink at the time of the inspection.
The problems are being addressed, the owners say, but they believe the alleged immigration question was improper and meant to intimidate them.
Nader "Danny" Yahya, Sr., owner of D&D Food and Liquors at 2006 W. Division St. since 1986, said that during the Friday visit, one of the inspectors asked him, "Is your son an immigrant?"
Yahya, who came to Chicago from Palestine in 1977 and became a United States citizen in 1982, said in an interview Sunday that he considered the question "an insult."
His son, Danny Yahya, Jr., the co-owner of the newer Pita Cafe at 2014 W. Division St., said he was born in Chicago. He added, "For someone inspecting to ask a businessman where his son is from? Why?"
The father and son said inspectors examined D&D and determined that cables used for surveillance cameras were unsafe and that the system needed to be rewired.
The inspectors told them the cables needed to be hung by hooks rather than hanging loosely from the ceiling tiles, according to the Yahyas.
Yahya, Sr. says he was unaware of danger the wires presented.
"When they saw all the camera cables, they said it needs to be reorganized. He said you need a permit for a security camera and a permit for every neon beer sign in the window," Yahya, Sr. said.
Due to the Casimir Pulaski city holiday, inspectors are not working Monday, according to officials from the health and buildings departments, but said the claims about ethnicity will be investigated.
Mimi Simon, a spokeswoman from the Department of Buildings, issued the following statement about D & D Food and Liquors late Monday.
"The city gives high priority to ensuring businesses are operating safely and in accordance to city rules and regulations. Following a referral from the Chicago Police Department, a task force inspection was completed at 2006 W. Division Street on March 3, 2017 through the Responsible Establishment Safe Neighborhood program," Simon said.
Simon said the inspection found 15 buildings code violations, including "dangerous and hazardous electrical, insufficient fire separation and reduced egress."
"Due to dangerous and hazardous conditions, the business was temporarily closed. The city routinely works with business owners so they can make the necessary repairs, get reinspected, and reopen for business," Simon said.
According to the city, task force inspections through the Responsible Establishment Safe Neighborhoods program include inspectors from Buildings, Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, Public Health as well as the Chicago Police Department and Chicago Fire Department.
Anel Ruiz, a spokeswoman for the city public health department, said an inspection was conducted at Pita Café as part of the same task force that visited D&D Food and Liquors.
The department "suspended the license at Pita Café due to a critical violation, as indicated by the report," Ruiz said.
Yahya, Sr. said that he plans to apply for a work permit to fix the wires on Tuesday.
"It will cost around $9,000 to do the rewiring, plus the lost revenue over the weekend. I'm in business for 30 years and they shut me down 1, 2, 3, no warning," Yahya, Sr. said.
If the rewiring work goes as planned at D&D and the plumbing and cleaning issues are resolved at Pita Cafe upon a re-inspection, Yahya, Sr., says he hopes both shops can reopen later in the week.
Yahya, Jr. said the building violation for the Pita Cafe also included a citation for a side door being 36 inches wide instead of the required 38 inches.
D & D's business license, renewable every two years, is set to expire on June 15, 2017, city records show. Prior to last week, the store was cited in 2012 for failing a refrigeration inspection, records show.
Last month, police detectives used surveillance footage from D & D's security cameras to capture an image of an alleged gunman who shot the leg of a Pita Cafe worker who'd tried to intervene on a fight that had started in the neighboring liquor store.
Security camera wire needs to be hanging on hook, city inspector allegedly told D&D owner. Store closed 4 rewiring pic.twitter.com/M6X8XPzlGm
— Alisa Hauser (@DNA_WPB) March 6, 2017
Wiring under construction at temporarily closed D&D Liquors in Wicker Park.
Pita Cafe license suspended and building closed.
