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Manager: LaCharreada could close this weekend

Saturday, December 1, 2007
By MICHAEL ZENNIE, Staff Writer

Slumping sales could close a Mexican restaurant that got into hot water after health inspectors found a deer carcass in its kitchen, the manager said.

Owner Socrates Montano told the staff of La Charreada, 1360 Indianapolis Rd., that he might close the eatery down if sales don't improve this weekend, said Julio Muniz, La Charreada's new manager.

However, Board of Health Administrator Beth Glaze said inspectors visited the restaurant as part of its weekly checkup Friday and none of the employees mentioned that it might be going out of business.

The health department closed La Charreada for about two days in late October after inspectors showed up in response to a complaint and found employees butchering a bloody deer carcass in the kitchen during business hours.

Publicity from the incident caused sales to fall 65 to 70 percent, district manager Juan Valery told the BannerGraphic at the beginning of November.

Muniz, who was hired after the previous manager and four other employees were fired as a result of the inspection, said sales Friday night seemed to have picked up. This might dissuade the owner from closing the store, he added.

Health Inspector Doug Ehmen told the BannerGraphic at the beginning of this month that the health department has tried to work with La Charreada to help it clean up its record and still keep its doors open.

The Board of Health put the restaurant on a six-month probation that requires it to undergo weekly inspections, each of which it must pay for.

However, Ehman said the health department kept the fines minimal - $25 per week -- so as not to put La Charreada out of business.

Though it had a spotty health record prior to its temporary closure, inspections since the closure have show few, if any, violations.

County health officer Dr. Robert Heavin told the BannerGraphic that his staff has been working with the restaurant staff to help them meet inspection requirements, which is in the best interest of the public.

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  • Wow, that is too bad. I'm not a USDA inspecter, but I can't understand why people are freaked out. People eat deer meat all the time, many people process it themselves. No one is dropping dead from it.

    We should all be more concerned about every restaurant in town that serves chicken and pork products. These two meats are far more at risk for contamination and need to be prepared properly or serious illness could occur, I know this much because I have gotten food poisoning from 6 different "chain" restaurants.

    These people at the La Charreada simply took the opportunity for free deer meat and broke code by cutting it up there. They got caught, now they don't do it anymore.

    Go back people, stop being ignorant, the food is as good as it always was. My personal favorite are the steak fajitas, their salsa is always fresh and the Corona Light's are good and cold!

    -- Posted by Xgamer on Sat, Dec 1, 2007, at 2:34 AM

  • Thats to bad. Maybe they should offer a free tour of the kitchen with every meal

    -- Posted by mad-mom on Sat, Dec 1, 2007, at 9:43 AM

  • I have no problem with the closing of this restaurant. This is not the only problems they have faced. I personally have gotten food poisioning here and know of several others. So goodbye, I know I will never eat there again.

    -- Posted by Trying hard on Sat, Dec 1, 2007, at 10:48 AM

  • I do not understand why everyone quit going to La Charreada. The management has taken the appropriate action with the employees that caused this mess. For any of you that read this and have stopped eating here, you better go the Health Dept. and read the reports for the Monon and the China Buffet. These are much worse than a deer being butchered. All we need is another empty building in Greencastle let alone losing a restaruant in a town that does not have anywhere to eat.

    -- Posted by Palimino on Sat, Dec 1, 2007, at 2:03 PM

  • How quickly we forget that their was a woman that found a roach on her plate and that they reused the salsa and chips from other customers. I personally know people who have gotten food poisoning there also. There is a new Mexican Restaurant on the north side of the square that the staff are very friendly, the restaurant is very clean, and their food is very good. Why chance getting sick, plus there are 3 or 4 new restaurants that have opened in the past few months and there are a dozen other restaurants to eat at. Try some place new, you might like them too.

    -- Posted by HelloMcFly on Sat, Dec 1, 2007, at 8:59 PM

  • Xgamer,I think after the fourth, maybe the fifth, time of getting food poisoning from restaurants I would have bought a cookbook.

    Free market economy at work. They will stay open, people will forget. Don't fret.

    -- Posted by clearwat on Mon, Dec 3, 2007, at 6:09 AM

  • The problem is that there is a small amout of people in this Community that runs this town. I know of several letters that was sent to the Banner Graphic to Speckout and Letter to the Editor about how good the Food and Friendly it is and that was never Published. These People that work at La Charreada send most of their money back home just like we would if we were working out of the country. When they get free food, rather it be deer meat or any other perpared food brought to them,this is food that they don't have to buy for themselves. They don't put in with the menu or mix it in with the food that they perpare. I myself have been eating there almost everyday and even after the problem took place. They got rid of the people that cause the porblem and was trying to make things better. What about these other eating places like the Barn Yard or Monon or China. Sure don't hear about them after the fact. I for one will miss La Cha and I'm doing everything I can to keep them here. Stop the Witch Hunt.

    -- Posted by Hurricane on Mon, Dec 3, 2007, at 6:29 AM
    Response by Editor:
    Put your names and phone numbers on your letters and Speak Outs, PLEASE! This requirement is stated in both the Speak Out and Letters policies. We often receive items that would be good to use, but we must be able to verify the sender . If your comment does not appear, most likely, that is why!

    Thank you,

    Editor

  • how long have we been eating road kill....

    -- Posted by billy b on Fri, Dec 7, 2007, at 5:43 PM
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