Dirty Dining | Inspectors find safety issues, including drink cup stuck in an ice bin

Florida’s Division of Hotels and Restaurants routinely inspects restaurants, food trucks and other food service establishments for public health and cleanliness issues. The reports are public information.

During the most recent inspections in Manatee County, several fast-food restaurants were cited for storing potentially hazardous foods at unsafe temperatures.

Other issues included restaurants included moldy equipment and employee handwashing issues.

Here is what inspectors found:

Wendy’s, 5411 14th St. W., Bradenton

• Burgers were cold held at a temperature greater than 41 degrees in a cooler. Corrective action was taken.
• A person in charge had no knowledge of how to recalibrate a thermometer. An inspector educated the person in charge.
• Coffee filters were not stored inverted to prevent contamination. Corrective action was taken.
• The restaurant met inspection standards.
  
  

Sonic Drive-In, U.S. 301, Parrish

• An inspector observed an employee fail to wash their hands after returning to the employee area from the bathroom. The inspector advised the employee and a manager on proper procedure.
• There was no proof of required training for any employees.
• A sanitizer bucket was stored next to bagged buns. Corrective action was taken.
• A drain cover was missing the rear kitchen.
• There was an accumulation of black mold-like substance in the interior of a rear kitchen ice machine.
  
  
• A follow-up inspection was required.

Checker’s, 1001 Eighth Ave. W., Palmetto

• An employee drink was stored in an ice bin next to a drive-thru window. A stop sale was issued for the ice due to contamination. Corrective action was taken. A restaurant operator discarded the approximately 5 pounds of ice in the bin.
• There was soiling on kitchen walls.
• The interior door frames of a walk-in cooler and a walk-in freezer were soiled with dirt.
• A drain cover was missing under a three-compartment sink.
• There was peeling paint on ceiling fixtures in the kitchen.
• The restaurant met inspection standards.

Poppo’s Taqueria, 6777 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton

• An inspector observed a food line employee change gloves without washing hands in the process. A restaurant operator instructed the employee on proper procedure. Corrective action was taken.
• Wiping cloth sanitizing solution exceeded the maximum concentration allowed. Corrective action was taken.
• Multiple cutting boards and a food processor were soiled.
• No test kits were at hand to measure the strength of sanitizer in use for warewashing and wiping cloth sanitizer buckets.
• Black beans and tempeh that were being held for future use in a walk-in cooler were not properly date-marked.
• Three bottles containing cleaning solution were unlabeled. Corrective action was taken.
• A soiled dry wiping cloth was in use in a kitchen area. Corrective action was taken.
• Walk-in cooler racks were soiled.
• Floors were soiled under equipment and a three-compartment sink.
• Walk-in and reach-in cooler gaskets were soiled.
• Bag-in-box beverages were stored on the floor in a dry storage area. Corrective action was taken.
• Employee drinks and personal items were stored in food storage and preparation areas. Corrective action was taken.
• The restaurant met inspection standards.

Editor’s Note: According to the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, these reports are a “snapshot” of the conditions present at the time of the inspection and are public record. The agency is required to inspect every licensed restaurant at least once per year, but new and “high-risk” establishments tend to be inspected more frequently.

When an emergency shutdown order is given by an inspector, it must first be reviewed and approved by agency supervisors. In order for a business to reopen, an inspector will continue visiting the establishment daily until compliance is met. Some citations may include a financial penalty. Inspectors may also respond to complaints, which can be filed here.

The Bradenton Herald’s weekly dirty dining reports list restaurants where inspectors found issues that might concern the average diner — such as unsafe food temperatures, employee handwashing issues or moldy drink machines — regardless of whether or not the businesses passed inspection.