Borderline closes its doors temporarily

On Oct. 14, Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks was closed temporarily by the Ventura County Environmental Health Department.

“It was raining hard that day. (The) roof was leaking so much it was causing the food to be contaminated, and the food couldn’t be safely served,” said Mike Byrne, supervising Ventura County environmental health specialist.

There were also four pages of other violations, but the restaurant’s permit was temporarily suspended because of the leaky roof, Byrne said.

Borderline owner Brian Hynes, 29, concurred. On the restaurant’s phone answering machine and website the leaking roof was cited as the reason for the eatery’s closing.

“I do not have a date for when we’ll open again, but I’m working with the landlord to get the roof fixed,” Hynes said.

He said that Borderline, 99 Rolling Oaks Drive, is a profitable business with 300 to 400 people coming in each night Thursdays through Saturdays.

“I’ve been coming to Borderline ever since I was 14,” Hynes said.

He understands how much the community loves going to Borderline for dinner and dancing and looks forward to reopening.

After the roof is repaired and the building passes inspection, it can immediately reopen while the restaurant fixes the other conditions cited in the Oct. 14 inspection, Byrne said.

Other conditions include flies in the facility, and an unused refrigerator and oven must be removed so they won’t create a harbor for vermin, Byrne said.

Some light fixtures need shatterproof protection.

“They can reopen with minor violations,” Byrne said.

Inspectors go to restaurants in Ventura County once or twice a year unannounced.

They just happened to go into Borderline on a rainy day.

“It was the right call by the health inspectors. It has to be fixed, and I was about to make the call to close it myself,” Hynes said.