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 grocery stores that were ordered closed during the week of Sept. 24, according to the city's Department of Health:

• Wendy's at 2215 N. Washtenaw Ave. in Logan Square was ordered closed after a small fly infestation was found throughout the restaurant's prep and dining areas.
• L' Patron at 2300 S. Throop St. on the Lower West Side was ordered closed when health inspectors found no hot running water in the restaurant's sinks.
• Masti Grill Inc. at 2948 W. Devon Ave. in the West Ridge neighborhood on the Far North Side was forced to close after more than 100 mouse droppings were found in the restaurant's kitchen, front prep area and women's washroom.

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