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During the week of September 26th through September 30th, Brevard residents were in for a treat with Hurricane Ian’s winds, flooding, power outages and more.
However, they didn’t have to worry about the cleanliness and proper legal operation of the county’s restaurants because none of them were shut down by inspectors from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation of Hotels and Restaurants.
Five famous hamburgers and fries, 225 Palm Bay Road, West Melbourne; and Lucky’s Artisan Food & Beverage1 Air Terminal Pkwy., Melbourne, did not violate state regulations.
Only Maverick’s 321, 1132 State Road A1A, Satellite Beach, received an administrative complaint for operating with an expired Hotel and Restaurant Division license. Maverick’s, which had just five violations, had only one high priority: “The medication container was improperly stored. They keep it in clean plates.”
A control review is required.
Recent checks:
Tied for the most prolific offenders of the storm-shortened week were Fiesta Azteca, 850 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne; and Oishii Hibachi Express & Poke Sushi Bowl3154 Lake Washington Road, Melbourne, with 16 violations each.
Four high-priority violations were identified at Fiesta Azteca:
- “Raw food of animal origin stored above/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food.”
- “Raw animal products are not properly separated from each other in the storage compartment based on the required minimum cooking temperature.”
- “The sell stop is time/temperature controlled for safety purposes. . . due to overheating.”
- “Time/Temperature Control for Safety: Storing Food Above 41 Degrees Fahrenheit.”
Oishii was found guilty of five high priority offences:
- “Employee went from handling raw food to ready-to-eat food without washing hands.”
- “Used utensils that have been stored in unclean water at or above 135 degrees Fahrenheit.”
- “Raw food of animal origin stored above/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food.”
- “Time/Temperature Control for Safe Foods, Other Than Roasted Whole Meats, Hot at Temperatures Less Than 135 Degrees F.”
- “Vacuum switch on hose bib or fitting/disconnector attached to hose bib missing.”
They were followed by:
Taphouse coasters5675 N Atlantic Ave. Cocoa Beach, which had 11 violations, including three high-priority violations:
- “Ready-to-eat, time/temperature controlled for safe food labeled with a date greater than seven days after opening/preparation.”
- “Ready-to-eat, time/temperature controlled to ensure food safety that has not been used/sold within seven days of opening/preparation” for which a sell-by date has been declared.
- “Time/Temperature Control for Safety: Storing Food Above 41 Degrees Fahrenheit.”
Cunning crabs225 Palm Bay Road, West Melbourne, which also had 11 offences, three of which were high priority:
- “Bent/rusted cans present” which caused the sale to be discontinued.
- “Raw food of animal origin stored above/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food.”
- “Clams received from an unapproved/unlisted shipper.”
Sometimes government restaurant inspections don’t address vermin, dirt, or poor food handling. Sometimes violations occur after employees leave pill bottles in the wrong places or when sprayer hoses are misconfigured. Technical aspects play their role.
However, it is always much more informative to read the reports in their entirety and review the records backwards. Find them at data.floridatoday.com/restaurant-inspections/brevard.
In any case, if you notice violations of state standards, report them and DBPR will send inspectors. Call 1-850-487-1395.
What do the terms of a restaurant inspection mean?
What does all this terminology mean in government restaurant inspections?
Major violations are those considered against best practice.
Intermediate violations are those that, if not addressed, could lead to factors that contribute to foodborne illness or injury, including inadequate staff training, documentation or record keeping, and labeling.
High priority violations these are those that can directly contribute to foodborne illness or injury, such as during cooking, reheating, cooling, and hand washing.
A a warning issued after the inspector documents a violation that must be corrected by a certain date or within a specified number of days from the receipt of the inspection report.
An administrative complaint is a form of legal action of subdivision. Insufficient compliance after a warning, a pattern of repeat violations, or the presence of serious conditions requiring immediate action may result in the department initiating an administrative complaint against the facility. Administrative complaints may be issued for major, intermediate, or high-priority violations.
The division’s website states, “Correcting violations is important, but fines can still result from violations corrected after the notice period has expired.”
An emergency order — when the restaurant is closed by the inspector — is based on a direct threat to the population. In the circumstances, the Director of the Division of Hotels and Restaurants has determined that the establishment must cease operations and any license of the division be suspended to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.
Twenty-four hour reverse inspection are conducted after an emergency closure or license suspension, and the establishment may reopen only after an inspection shows that all of the priority violations that led to the suspension have been corrected.
For more information, go to myfloridalicense.com/DBPR/hotels-restaurants/inspections.
Join the conversation at facebook.com/groups/321flavorwherebrevardeats.
