But even failing numerous health inspections still is not enough to shut a store down.
For example, after three failed health inspections and several citations, the Super Halal Meat Market located at 253-06 Hillside Ave. in Bellerose, Queens was given 60 days in September to correct violations or officials would revoke its license to operate. While there’s less than 10 days left for it to comply, there’s no guarantee the store may close.
“If there’s a critical violation we inspect within the next month,” says Michael Moran, a spokesperson for the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. “We don’t have the power to force them to close. We have to push for a public hearing.”
The Food Safety and Inspection Division of the department visits places where food is produced, shipped or processed. The potential hazard to the public determines the number of inspections done yearly, according to its website.
Sen. Tony Avella led civic leaders and nearly 70 residents in a protest in September at the halal store in Bellerose, one of several demonstrations that have occurred since it opened, about unsanitary habits, among other critical violations.
“This has become a nightmare for residents,” said Avella during the protest. “The whole quality of life in the neighborhood is gone.”
The 24-hour grocery store owned by Sheraz Khan has racked up nearly $2,500 worth of fines from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
Avella noted that the department cited the store for flies being present in meat processing area, unwrapped meat stored inside of shopping carts and a hand washing facility and restroom that lacked proper sanitary accommodations.
While Khan said that no one notified him of a 60-day rule, he added that he has gotten several of the problems resolved and that he is doing everything he can to correct his mistakes and comply with the laws. However, he claimed the real problem is not about the violations.
“What’s going through my mind is that this is a racial issue. I’m a minority and this is not fair,” said Khan. “It’s like, what am I doing? Am I beating people up? Am I selling drugs? Am I selling alcohol? Am I selling prostitutes? No. I have people making a living over here. They have families. I’m doing the right thing over here. I have the cheapest prices in the whole town. What do they want?”
Divide between patrons and protesters
According to Khuram Khan, the owner’s cousin, none of the residents protesting actually shop at the store and many of their actual shoppers, Indians and Pakistanis, would come and support the store if they knew what was going on in the community.
“How many Asian people do you see outside? Indian? Pakistani? None. There’s nobody’s here and they all live on this block,” said Khuram. “This is an Indian neighborhood basically and they are not here.”
Several shoppers, who were from India and Ghana, agreed and defended the store, asserting that they had no complaints and have been shopping there since it opened in October 2010.
One person coming out of the store with groceries said he loves what the owners are doing for the community and that the protests were “absolutely” not justified.
“He’s giving the services. He’s giving the food and all the necessary time – 24 hours. There’s no other store open here 24 hours,” said Siddiqui Najeeb, a resident in the neighborhood for three years. “If something’s wrong he’s going to correct it.”
