SANTA CRUZ — Ginza Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi has closed up shop — rather, the city of Santa Cruz forced it to close.

Ginza, 525 Water St., received a notice from the city Oct. 14 that it was “unfit for habitation” and “unsafe for occupancy.”

The building has boards over all of its windows and doors, but its “Grand Opening” flags and lights are still intact.

On Oct. 14, the Building and Safety Inspection team became aware of several people living at the restaurant without proper sanitation, according to Ralph Dimarucut, principal management analyst and spokesman for the city of Santa Cruz. Building and fire inspectors, Code Compliance and police found 10 restaurant employees, including a child, living in an office section of the building that was converted without permits, he said.

The space was uninhabitable for multiple reasons. The residents had created multiple bedrooms without appropriate routes for escape and rescue, according to Dimarucut. Further, they didn’t have running water or working toilets because of previous sewer and water leaks.

The restaurant was not safe either.

The electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems of the restaurant violated several building codes, Dimarucut said. He said Environmental Health inspected the restaurant kitchen and found it to be unsanitary and unsafe/hazardous.

Following the inspection, the power, gas and water were turned off and the building was posted unsafe, Dimarucut said. PG&E disconnected power from the overhead power lines, too.

The residents have been given immediate help out of their living situation. The city provided them with emergency hotel vouchers, according to Dimarucut. .

The Building Official of the city has made an order to the public “Do Not Enter — Do Not Occupy,” in accordance with Uniform Housing Code Chapter 11, as written in the city notice. The Uniform Housing Code is a health and safety code for inhabited buildings.

That location first opened in 2007 as buffet and sushi restaurant “Fuji,” according to Rebecca Unitt, business liaison at the city of Santa Cruz. The restaurant became Sake Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi in 2013, changing owners in 2015 and 2017 but operating under the same name. In April 2019, the restaurant reopened under new owners as Ginza, she said.

The city was not aware of future plans for the restaurant or the building.