Bread and Wine will close - restaurant manager

The restaurant publicly threatened to close its business operations in February over high electricity bills, which it disputed.

In February, the business posted on Facebook that it had a bill of 63,663.90 cedi and that it couldn't afford such a bill, drawing sharp criticism from the public who thought they were being dishonest.

It had claimed it only used ACs during lunch and dinner and the high bills were “impossible”.

The government stepped in and ordered an audit, that preliminary audit on its power consumption confirms the two month bills of 63,663.90 cedi was correct.

“That is what they are saying but it doesn’t make sense,” the general manager of the restaurant who only gave his name as Neil told Pulse.com.gh about the audit report.

Asked if the company will carry out its threat of closing down operations, Neil said “we will close. The bill is another huge investment, plus other investments.”

After the restaurant went public with its complaints last month, Deputy Minister of power, John Jinapor stepped in and the two parties agreed on a meter audit.

The company has maintained that the outcome of the meter audit will determine whether it will close its business or not, a softer position from its previously entrenched position of closing down by March ending.

In an interview at the company's Osu premise with Pulse.com.gh last month, the owner who only gave his name as Nicholas said "the only reason this company said it is going to close is “because at the end of the day no restaurant can work with GHC33,000 as electricity bill."

"How much do I make to pay GHC33,000 bill of electricity, to pay water, and pay your employees", he said.

"If tomorrow they come and tell me my bill has reduced by 50 percent because it was a mistake, I stay open. If not, I pack and leave,” he added.

The company’s high energy consuming gadgets may be a major contributing factor, Mr. Jinapor said, after the preliminary audit report was released.

"The preliminary reports from the Energy commission indicates that the gadgets there are quite energy consuming and some of them are not energy efficient,” he told Citi FM.

“Even if you look are their gardens alone, the amount of bulbs there, most of which are not LED bulbs, they consume a lot.”

He said he has directed the energy commission to recommend to the company on how "they can balance their load so that they can reduce their billing in terms of consumption."