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Board upholds 30-day suspension of Marrakesh restaurant’s tobacco permit
Summary
After DPH presented repeated inspections and notices finding hookah smoking inside Marrakesh restaurant, the Board of Appeals voted 4-0 to uphold a 30-day suspension of the establishment’s tobacco sales permit.
The San Francisco Board of Appeals on Jan. 16 upheld a 30‑day suspension of the tobacco-sales permit for Marrakesh (4190 Farrell Street) after the Department of Public Health documented repeated violations of state and local smoking laws.
Owner Bashir Shahin told the board Marrakesh has been a family business for 16 years and asked for leniency. Senior Health Inspector Janine Young (DPH – Environmental Health) reviewed a sequence of five notices dating to 2009, a 2011 decision letter ordering cessation of hookah service, and a July 21, 2012 unannounced inspection in which inspectors observed patrons smoking hookah and found hookah pipes and tobacco products in storage. DPH recommended upholding the 30‑day suspension as enforcement to ensure compliance with the San Francisco health code and California labor law.
Commissioners emphasized the multiple prior notices and the department’s effort to secure compliance. President Huang moved to uphold the department’s enforcement action on the basis of the record; the motion passed 4-0.
DPH noted that suspension does not require the restaurant to close; the department remains prepared to continue enforcement if violations persist.
