Donegal restaurant forced to close last month amid 'grave danger to public health'

A popular restaurant and takeaway in Donegal was forced to close it's doors in February following a HSE inspection which found the hygiene standards to be a 'grave or immediate danger to public health'.

The closure order was served on Company Secretary, Aby And Swapna International Trading Limited, owners of Masala Chowk
Restaurant and Takeaway located at Unit 1, Green Isle Park Port Road, Letterkenny.

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In the report, the health inspector ordered the premises to be closed with immediate effect as the construction of the premises did not present good hygiene practices including against contamination, in particular, pest control.

The report noted widespread evidence of rodent activity, along with rodent droppings found on and around food packaging, shelving and equipment which was exacerbated by a clear lack of cleaning.

Gaps were also noted in the main kitchen leading to the external waste area.

Due to the evidence above, the health inspector noted that there was grave or immediate danger to public health as the conditions could lead to a serious risk of food being contaminated with pathogenic bacteria likely to render food unfit for human consumption.

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The closure order was issued on February 9, 2026, and was lifted on February 19, 2026.

Read the full report here.