Melaka restaurant with alpaca, goats in ‘petting zoo’ ordered to close for seven days, fined
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The restaurant went viral on social media for featuring an alpaca and goats alongside other animals as entertainment for customers.
PHOTO: STRAY.FREEFOUNDATION/INSTAGRAM
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Having an eclectic menu or a unique decor can help a restaurant stand out from the competition, but an establishment in Melaka took the concept of a theme restaurant to a new and bizarre level.
The noodle restaurant, which went viral on social media for featuring an alpaca and goats alongside other animals as entertainment for customers, has been ordered to close for seven days and fined RM10,250 (S$3,126) by the Melaka Historic City Council (MBMB).
MBMB Mayor Shadan Othman said that the closure order, effective from Sept 22 until Sept 28, was issued after the outlet was found to have violated the council’s guidelines.
“We have also issued a notice requiring the owner to close the restaurant for a week to carry out cleaning works and to remove all animals kept inside the premises,” said Datuk Shadan Othman.
“It’s also for hygiene purposes,” he said.
Checks revealed that MBMB issued a food business licence in April 2025, but the owner gradually brought in 23 animals starting in June. These included an alpaca, goats, ducks, geese, rabbits and 15 cats.
Mr Shadan Othman said that turning the restaurant into an animal exhibition site is strictly prohibited.
He noted that the alpaca was placed in a separate section on the ground floor at certain times but the other animals were kept upstairs, effectively turning the outlet into a “mini petting zoo”.
“This is the first case we have encountered of a restaurant operating in this manner,” said Mr Shadan Othman.
“The business licence clearly states that no animals are allowed to be kept within shops or restaurants,” he added. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
