5 Restaurants Closed by Inspectors in Bay Area

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation ordered emergency closures at five Tampa Bay area eateries last week when conditions inside didn’t meet guidelines for health and safety.

Roach activity was one of the biggest reasons behind the forced closings, but other violations included the presence of rats, food storage at improper food storage temperatures and filthy conditions, among others.

In its Emergency Closures report for the week ending July 12, the state noted these establishments had been ordered shut until they cleaned up their acts:

Tampa

Good Taste, 8211 N. Florida Ave.

• Initial inspection date – July 8
• High priority violations – 3
• Intermediate violations – 6
• Basic violations – 15

State inspectors noted roach activity with live roaches found. Other high priority violations included employees touching ready-to-eat foods with bare hands and non-food grade containers. The eatery failed to meet standards during follow-up inspections on July 9, 10 and 11. It met inspection standards on July 13 and was allowed to reopen.

Centro Cantina, 1600 E. 8th Ave., Suite D204

• Initial inspection date – July 8
• High priority violations – 5
• Intermediate violations – 9
• Basic violations – 17

Inspectors noted such high priority violations as employees failing to wash hands, storage of hazardous substances near food and roach activity. The eatery failed to meet standards during follow-up inspections on July 9, 10 and 11. On July 13, inspectors noted a reduction in violations, but said another follow-up inspection is required.

Taqueria La Costena, 1508 E. Comanche Ave.

• Initial inspection date – July 8
• High priority violations – 4
• Intermediate violations – 10
• Basic violations – 7

Inspectors noted “live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area or food storage area.” They also found live roaches under dry storage shelves, under the prep table, behind the cooler and in other locations. Other high priority violations included an employee failing to wash hands without soap. The eatery was temporarily shut down on July 8, but inspectors noted a need for another follow-up visit during a July 9 inspection.

Haagen Dazs Nestle Toll House, 8035 Citrus Park Town Center

• Initial inspection date – July 8
• High priority violations – 4
• Intermediate violations – 6
• Basic violations – 4

Inspectors noted such violations as roach activity, including “approximately 4-5 in front area near ice cream cooler.” Other violations included an expired hotel and restaurant license, roach droppings and improper chemical storage. The eatery met inspection standards during a July 9 follow-up visit.

Bradenton

Bella Mia Pizza, 5917 Manatee Ave. W., Suite 401

• Initial inspection date – July 6
• High priority violations – 2
• Intermediate violations – 1
• Basic violations – 11

Inspectors noted live roach activity and roach excrement found within the kitchen. “Twelve inside of a broken reach in cooler adjacent to the dish machine containing clean pots, three live in the dish machine area, two live on the exterior of the microwave located adjacent to the kitchen entrance. …” The restaurant met inspection standards with no violations of any level found during a return visit on July 7.

Image via Shutterstock