Yokosuka Chili’s reopening is delayed

Yokosuka Chili’s reopening is delayed
By Allison Batdorff, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Saturday, January 5, 2007

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — The lights stayed off and the doors remained closed at Yokosuka’s Chili’s restaurant, extending the two-week closure originally set to end Thursday.

There is no firm date for reopening, but it will most likely be sometime next week, according to a statement by Hasmore Ltd., the commercial restaurant group under contract with Morale, Welfare and Recreation to run the restaurant at Yokosuka Naval Base.

The delay is the result of “recertification,” as a representative from Chili’s corporate office in Dallas must review the restaurant to make sure it meets expectations before it is allowed to reopen, the statement said.

“While this will unfortunately add a few extra days delay, overall it’s a good thing because when we finally do reopen our customers can be assured that we’ve met all the requirements for a successful Chili’s experience,” the statement said.

Long waits for tables and other customer service issues caused Hasmore to close Chili’s six days after its Dec. 10 ribbon-cutting to train and hire more staff to deal with the crowds flowing into the long-awaited restaurant.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51411