The Chicago Restaurants, Grocery Stores Ordered Closed Last Week

CHICAGO — 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.

Both businesses that were ordered closed last week were Dunkin' Donuts joints, according to the city's Department of Health:

Dunkin' Donuts at 1400 E. 47th St in Kenwood was ordered closed after the business failed to correct a fly problem that it was previously warned about, the city said. More than 50 small flying insects were found in the customer dining area, on donut racks, on the ceiling and near the front counter, according to the city's data portal.

Dunkin' Donuts at 5130 N. Broadway in Uptown was ordered closed after insufficient hot water was found in the business, the city said. Inspectors discovered the 40 gallon water heater was not able to meet peak hot water demands, according to the city's data portal.

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.