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Falcon stops seagull attacks on Wahaca staff
The opening of a Bristol branch of popular Mexican restaurant Wahaca nearly ground to a halt after workers kept being attacked by seagulls.
While trying to complete vital work on the roof of the new restaurant site, builders discovered several seagulls nesting on the roof of the building.
“The builders would go up onto the roof where the baby birds were and the parent birds would attack,” says head of marketing Oli Ingham.
Work on the new restaurant looked set to come to a halt, until project manager Keith Stuart came up with the bold idea to bring in a falconer.
“We were advised it was the best solution without causing too much distress to the birds,” says Oli.
“The presence of the falcon meant that the parents would leave the site for a while, not wanting to be attacked themselves, which meant the builders could get back up onto the roof and complete the work.
“We kept the work we were doing to a minimum, an hour or so at a time, so the birds could return to their nests without leaving their little ones too long.”
When Bristol24/7 reported a Bristol Wahaca was set to open, comments on social media were overwhelmingly positive, with user Joh Riddom commenting: “OMG YES!!!!!” and Laura Kidd posting: “LOVE THIS NEWS”.
Oli continues: “Had we not been able to get back up on the roof and finish the work we were doing, it would have delayed the opening – but fortunately we’re back on course.”
The Bristol Wahaca restaurant is set to open on Queens Road on July 23. www.wahaca.co.uk.