The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has shut down 16 food service establishments across the Greater Accra Region, two weeks after issuing its clearest enforcement warning in years, with popular dining destinations including The Cheesecake House, Dolce Frizzante, Onda and Alora Beach Resort among the casualties of a compliance sweep that regulators say is just the beginning.
The closures follow the FDA’s February 1 public notice warning that all food service establishments operating without a valid Food Hygiene Permit would face immediate shutdown. The Cheesecake House, Dolce Frizzante, Onda and Alora Beach Resort were all cited for failing to meet mandatory licensing and hygiene requirements within the stipulated window.
The enforcement is grounded in Section 130(1) of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), which prohibits any person from manufacturing, selling, supplying or storing food products in premises not duly registered and approved. Any establishment found non-compliant will remain closed until it fully regularises its operations and obtains a valid permit.
The February 1 directive applied without exception to the full sweep of Ghana’s food service economy, covering restaurants, hotels, lounges, chop bars, snack bars, bakeries, food vans, event caterers and online food vendors, as well as canteens operating in schools, hospitals and offices. Compliant establishments may qualify for extended two-year permits under a risk-based assessment model, while consumers are being urged to check for the official FDA Food Hygiene Permit sticker before patronising any food outlet.
The action marks a significant escalation in enforcement after years of complaints from public health experts that permit requirements were widely ignored, particularly among mid-tier and upscale dining establishments that relied on brand reputation rather than regulatory compliance. The closure of well-known names in Accra’s restaurant scene signals that the FDA is applying the rules without regard to commercial profile.
The FDA has also indicated that inspections will continue and that any operator seeking to reopen must satisfy all outstanding documentation requirements and pass a fresh inspection before trading resumes.
