- Philly Cheese Steak & Wing, 4963 U.S. 98 N., Lakeland: On Dec. 16, the restaurant had three violations. Two were high-priority violations, related to the same issue: operating with an expired Division of Hotels and Restaurants license. The other violation was basic: an exterior door had a gap at the threshold that opened to the outside. A follow-up was required but no follow-up appeared in state reports as of Feb. 21.
- Black & Brew Coffee House & Bistro, 205 E. Main St., Lakeland: On Dec. 18, the restaurant had 10 violations, including four high-priority.
Among those, two were related to cooked chicken that wasn’t stored at or below 41 degrees (a stop-sale was ordered); one was for other items, including pastrami, turkey, and brisket that were not held at or below 41 degrees; and the last was for the dish machine failing to mix sanitizer.
Six violations were basic: the women’s bathroom did not have a covered waste bin; utensils were wet-nesting, without being properly air dried; a broken container holding pumpkin puree and rusted racks in an upright cooler; soiled gaskets on a reach-in cooler; an open dumpster lid and water leaking from a hand wash sink faucet.
In a callback on Dec. 27, the restaurant met standards with only two basic violations remaining.
Keep in mind as you read
Remember that in some cases, violations are noted are technical issues not directly linked to hygiene or cleanliness. Remember, too, that broken refrigerators, chipped tiles or fast work may add up to unintended mistakes.
Regardless, if you notice abuses of state standards, report them and DBPR will send inspectors. Call 1-850-487-1395.
The terminology
What does all that terminology in state restaurant inspections mean?
Basic violations are those considered against best practices.
A warning is issued after an inspector documents violations that must be corrected by a certain date or within a specified number of days from receipt of the inspection report.
An administrative complaint is a form of legal action taken by the division. Insufficient compliance after a warning, a pattern of repeat violations or existence of serious conditions that warrant immediate action may result in the division initiating an administrative complaint against the establishment. Says the division website: “Correcting the violations is important, but penalties may still result from violations corrected after the warning time was over.”
An emergency order — when a restaurant is closed by the inspector — is based on an immediate threat to the public. Here, the Division of Hotels and Restaurants director has determined that the establishment must stop doing business and any division license is suspended to protect the health, safety, or welfare of the public.
A 24-hour call-back inspection will be performed after an emergency closure or suspension of license and the establishment may reopen only after inspection shows that all high-priority violations that caused the suspension are corrected.