Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña ordered the closure of popular lechon restaurant Rico’s yesterday for operating without a business permit.
The restaurant’s two branches within the city were closed when ABS-CBN News visited their locations.
Lechon — or slow roasted pig — is a popular pork dish in Cebu.
According to a report in SunStar Cebu, Osmeña said he may no longer allow the establishments to reopen. “Once you have a violation, you have a violation. So don’t think that all you need to do is just to comply. No,” he told local media.
In notices posted at the entrance of the two stores, the local government said the branches were shut down for continuing operations without a permit “despite two warnings.”
In a statement posted on their website later on Thursday, Rico’s Lechon said they “acknowledged” having receive the notice from the office of the mayor, but maintained that processing had been ongoing and the company was just waiting for the final business permit release when the notice of closure has been served.
It added, requirements for the release had been “duly received by the designated local office or department prior to the notice.”
Rico Dionson, the owner of Rico’s Lechon, declined to comment when asked by local media for a statement on his restaurant’s closure.
Re-published from ABS-CBN News with edits
