From A-grade to E-grade: Cockroach infestation closes doors of Auckland Nando's

A Nando's store in West City Waitākere was forced to close for two days after a routine pest control inspection. PHOTO / Michael Craig

A fast-food chicken restaurant had to close its doors for two days after a cockroach infestation scored it an E-grade hygiene rating.

Nando's in West City Waitākere was forced to close after an Auckland Council inspection on October 10.

Food inspectors found cockroaches in a wooden benchtop, and the restaurant received an E-grade rating due to pest control problems.

Auckland Council's environmental and health manager Mervyn Chetty said the outlet had previously had an A-grade hygiene rating.

Chetty said it was pleasing that the outlet's pest control issues had since been fully rectified and the store re-opened.

"It is the responsibility of the food operators to ensure the sale of safe and suitable food," he said.

"The inspections and verifications undertaken by the council ensure that the businesses are meeting this responsibility."

Nando's New Zealand general manager Garth Parker told Fairfax the store replaced the benchtop and a pest control company was called in.

Staff had also cleaned out the whole store following the closure.

"This was an isolated case and there has been no impact to the safety of our customers," he said.

Parker said all the other 13 Nando's outlets in Auckland were A-grade.

The restaurant has to wait 90 days for re-grading, but Parker said he was confident the council would reinstate the A-grade status.

The US based fast food outlet has more than 30 stores around the country. Nando's International purchased the master franchise licence for the business in New Zealand in May 2014.

Founded in South Africa in the late 1980s, Nando's arrived in New Zealand in 2000 when the first store opened in Glenfield on Auckland's North Shore.