The Chicago Restaurants, Grocery Stores Ordered Closed Last Week

CHICAGO, IL — Dozens of Chicago restaurants and grocery stores are slapped with fines for health violations each week, but it takes a serious violation for a restaurant to be ordered closed, the city said. Places are ordered shuttered for reasons such as roach and mice infestations, major plumbing problems, food stored at the wrong temperatures and basic food safety rules not being followed, the city said.

Less-serious violations, which don't require closures, often include issues such as poor ventilation, inadequate lighting, worn seal on refrigerators, a few fruit flies and inappropriate materials like cardboard and paper sitting in the wrong places. Restaurants and stores are required to fix those problems immediately.

These were the restaurants and stores that were ordered closed during the week of June 25, according to the city's Department of Health:

• Ajaja Inc. at 1901 S Pulaski Rd in North Lawndale on the West Side was ordered closed after no hot water was found in the grocery store, health officials said. Around three inches of waste water was also found in the store's basement from a leaking pipe, the city said.
• Erie Fresh - the grocery store at 633 N Cicero Ave. in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side was ordered closed after inspectors found around 70 rodent droppings in the store's storage area, shopping area and under refrigeration units, the city said. Around 15 large flies were also found in the rear prep area, officials said.
• Aldi at 4500 N. Broadway in Uptown was closed because health inspectors found the store selling cilantro with no proof of an "approved," identifiable supplier, the city said. The store reopened the next day when managers found the invoices for the source, according to the city's data portal.
• Nickel Food at 3637 W. Division St. in Humboldt Park was ordered closed because the grocery store had no working employee toilet, the city said.
• Joe's BBQ at 4900 W. Madison St. in the Austin neighborhood was ordered closed because a previous violation was not corrected, the city said. Around 30 flies were found on the walls, ceiling and in the food prep area, health inspectors said, and upon re-inspection, the fly problem wasn't fixed, the city said.

Information on which Chicago restaurants and grocery stores have been ordered closed is not available on the city's data portal. The city's public health department has committed to sending Patch weekly reports, and we will publish those as long as they are made available.

Lead image via Serghei Starus/Shutterstock