BATTLEFORD — Pennydale Junction in Battleford is back in business after a two-week hiatus to find a new head chef.
The restaurant's manager who runs operations told the News-Optimist that the hiatus allowed them the time to get back on their feet before their re-opening on July 4.
“Pennydale [Junction] was closed because our head cook's father passed away. And because of that, because I did not want to compromise on the quality of the food and service, so recently I got a chef from Vancouver,” the manager, who preferred to identify himself solely as Adnan, said.
“I just took those two weeks time so that I can get a head chef … we took that time to prepare ourselves, and then we opened from July 4.”
When asked if he knew if Ashraful and Nicole Alam were still on the deed after Alam being suspected of killing his wife in Bangladesh, Adnan said he wouldn’t comment. He then said that he never mentioned there was a change in ownership.
“I did not write anything like there was a change in ownership, I think I mentioned management… from mid-Febuary, I started working over here.”
On June 20, the restaurant issued a statement on its Facebook page, describing the Feb. 14 change of management. Soon after news broke that Ashraful Alam was suspected of killing Afroza Begum, formerly of Estevan and a Canadian citizen, a question was posted to Pennydale Junction online asking if the Alams are still the owners of the property.
The restaurant said it was no longer owned by them.
"Nope ... [the owner is] a private investor," the restaurant posted on its Facebook page in a now-deleted comment.
Adnan, who referenced that Pennydale Junction has been in contact with Nicole Alam and has been handling a lot, told the News-Optimist/SASKTODAY.ca that he wouldn’t comment on ISC’s information that seems to show Ashraful and Nicole Alam’s company still own the property.
“I think these are things people can find by themselves, so I don't need to comment on that … if you really want to find like who owns it, what person does, you can find that yourself."
