An Edmonton couple says a battle with the city over the smell of butter chicken and other issues is forcing them to sell their restaurant.

Krishna Singh says the city told her in December she had to stop serving butter chicken at her restaurant in the Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre adjacent to Commonwealth Stadium.

"They said that butter chicken has very offensive odours and people are complaining about it," said Singh, who opened Sportonik with her husband Ajit Sahoo in December 2015.

"They have no objections when we sell chili," she added.

Krishna Singh says she is selling her small restaurant at the Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre, after having problems dealing with the city. 0:58

Singh spoke to CBC News Tuesday as customers filtered in and out of the large, enclosed space — a frosted-glass wall separating the cafe from foyer — ordering food at the counter to take away, ignoring the tables provided.

She said restricting their menu is one of many ways the city has meddled in their business, so just over a year after opening, the couple has put Sportonik up for sale.

"We actually got very fed up with the property managers coming behind us for each and every (little thing)," Singh said. "It's really, really bothersome."

In March 2013, Singh and her husband, who live in the neighbourhood with their seven-year-old son, said they approached the city, noting the space in the rec centre had sat empty for a year.

Invested more than $400,000

They took out a federal loan and invested more than $400,000. But the couple, who are both engineers, question why it took the city a year and a half to draft the lease document and another six months to approve engineering designs.

They say they made their plan clear to the city. Their proposal stated the restaurant would be equipped with a rice cooker, a toaster oven and a microwave. The documents show the city signed and approved the plan on Aug. 25, 2014.

Krishna Singh says city officials told them to stop serving butter chicken. "We put in our heart and soul and life into it and therefore we need more support," said Singh.

In January they sent an email to city mayor and councillors titled "Urgent Help Needed" detailing their complaints.

In a statement Tuesday, the city said it entered into the agreement "with the understanding that it was not ventilated for any on-premise cooking, regardless of type."

While the lease states goods of "any offensive odour" are not permitted, the city has taken it too far, Singh said.

The couple has also argued with the city over signage. Singh said they were ordered to remove an internal sign informing customers outside food and drink would not be permitted due to provincial safety standards.

City officials also removed their road sign, which had been approved by the recreation centre supervisor, she said.

An official said the city has provided Sportonik "prominent and free space" on the digital sign in front of the facility and agreed to work with the couple "to address concerns and find mutually-agreeable solutions."

@andreahuncar andrea.huncar@cbc.ca