Original Häagen-Dazs Shop Closed By Health Department

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — The original Häagen-Dazs was shut down Wednesday when health inspectors discovered employees weren’t sanitizing utensils or properly washing their hands, records show.

The iconic ice cream shop near on Montague Street near Henry Street was forced to close after the Department of Health reported five major health code violations on Sept. 6.

Inspectors reported evidence of mice and the absence of a Food Protection Certificate. They also found no facilities for employees to wash food service utensils — such as ice cream scoops — or their hands.

“Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room,” the Department of Health report said. “Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided.”

Restaurants are graded on a violation point system that determines their letter grades — scores between zero and 13 constitute an A, scores between 14 and 27 constitute a B, and scores above 28 earn eateries a C and close monitoring from the city’s health department.

During its Friday inspection, the Brooklyn Heights ice cream shop earned 81 points.

Häagen-Dazs is a national ice cream chain whose iconic pints can be found almost anywhere ice cream is sold.

Founder Reuben Mattus and his daughter Doris opened the first Häagen-Dazs shop on Montague Street in 1976 when the pair began, “introducing Brooklynites to his delicious, velvety ice cream in every hand-pulled scoop,” according to the company website.

A Häagen-Dazs representative was not immediately available to comment.

Photo courtesy of Fuhghettaboutit/Wikimedia Commons