WASHINGTON — D.C. Officials ordered an Adams Morgan cafe to close due to health concerns just days after the the businessowner was caught on video berating a food delivery driver for not speaking English. Despite that shutdown order, the business appeared to be open Thursday.
DC Health said that on Sept. 11 they conducted an inspection at Canna Coffee Ice Cream Cafe Mocktail Bar Lounge located at 1810 Florida Avenue NW. Following the investigation, health officials issued a summary suspension, which led to the immediate closure of the business until further notice. Despite this notice, the business continued to operate in violation of the order, according to officials.
"As of September 18, the Canna Coffee Ice Cream Cafe Mocktail Bar Lounge has been shut down with the support of our sister agencies and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). DC Health remains dedicated to enforcing health and safety standards and is committed to ensuring public well-being," a spokesperson for DC Health told WUSA9 in a statement.
However, despite the shutdown order, WUSA9 crews witnessed the business open again on Thursday afternoon.
This is not the only investigation involving the business. DC's Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) says they have also issued two notices of infraction to the cafe. One was issued on May 13 and the other on Aug. 8, according to a DLCP spokesperson.
DLCP has not disclosed what prompted the notices, but in a statement they told WUSA9, "We take allegations of illegal activity seriously and are actively monitoring the situation. Because this investigation is ongoing; DLCP is unable to further comment on this matter or any future deliberative action that the agency might take."
Canna's temporary closure comes just days after the cafe's owner, Greg Harris was captured on video berating a food delivery driver.
In the one-minute video posted Monday on TikTok by delivery driver Gregorio Amundarain, business owner Greg Harris is heard telling him to "Learn English! Learn it! You get money in America. This is-If you get money in America, learn English!"
At one point in the video, Amundarain responds, "No speak English," to which Harris says "I don't give a f---! Learn it! Learn it!"
Amundarain says he showed up to Harris' shop Canna in D.C.'s Adams Morgan to pick up an order Monday morning. The delivery driver says that after waiting a couple of minutes for the order outside of the shop, he signaled Harris to come toward him because there was in dog inside the business.
"I was scared because of the dog," Amundarain said. He explained the dog had barked at him when he first opened the door.
Once inside the shop, Amundarain explained that Harris began yelling at him, so he decided to get his phone out and record.
"Learn English! Learn English! Learn English!" Harris is heard saying before proceeding to mimic Spanish.
Amundarain says the business owner toned down his voice once he saw he was recording.
"This ain't your f---in' country. This ain't your f---in' country. Learn English! Learn English," Harris is heard saying.
Amundarain says he has been in the U.S. for two years and it is the first time that he has been met with that type of hostility. He said usually restaurants understand that not all drivers speak English fluently, and "if you don't know English, you show the phone and you get the order."
In the video, Harris forcibly hands over the bag to Amundarain who proceeds to exit the building saying in the video in Spanish, "He's insulting me and I don't understand what he's telling me. That's the store. That's the store."
D.C. Police responded to the scene and on Tuesday said the incident is under active investigation as a simple assault and a hate crime. Amundarain says he believes he was targeted for being Hispanic.
DC Police has not charged anyone for Monday's incident.
"I am saddened. My mom saw the video. My mom cried and told me, 'Son come back to Venezuela because you're being humiliated. Look how you're being treated,'" Amundarain said. The Venezuelan national says he shared the video on his TikTok account because what happened to him is just a glimpse of what delivery drivers in the District have to go through.
Uber reacted to WUSA9's reporting on X saying, "We are disgusted by the behavior in this video. Hate has no place on our platform and we have removed this business from our app and are working to check in on this courier’s well-being."
On Tuesday, WUSA9 attempted to speak to Harris at the Canna location, initially without cameras. Outside the shop we explained that we wanted to hear his side of what happened the day prior and what prompted his response.
Harris refused to speak on camera, telling WUSA9 that he would only speak if we sent a Black reporter, or if we paid for the interview. He then proceeded to tell our crew that we should be giving the delivery driver English lessons.
Harris posted on social media that he expects to give his version of what happened on Monday during a news conference he will hold alongside his lawyer.