Tampa Bay — Restaurant Inspection Briefing

New DBPR licenses plus confirmed opening signals: the places that just joined the map and still need their first public-record track record.

Out where the heat melts the rules, here is the count: kitchens shut in recent weeks. SUSHI CAFE in Miami found live and dead roaches, and mold-like buildup inside the ice machine. TACO REAL in Coral Springs drew more than 35 rodent droppings along food prep areas. At SUSHI CAFE in Miami, inspectors found more than 35 rodent droppings along food prep areas. A state food safety inspection on Thursday uncovered a widespread roach infestation, live flies and serious sanitation failures. Three high-priority violations or more is not a bad day. It is not a small slip. It is a full-blown failure. At SUSHI CAFE in Miami, inspectors found more than 35 rodent droppings along food prep areas. When you walk into a restaurant, you are trusting more than the menu. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation found several restaurants that had significant roach problems. The food safety inspector at SUSHI CAFE in Miami found live and dead roaches, and mold-like buildup inside the ice machine. In the 90-day window, restaurants in the Metro area saw 1688 recent failures, with 2125 chronic offenders and 428 lost licenses. Some restaurants posted more than 40 live roaches, and others drew as many as 50+ flies. A few of these failures were so serious they triggered emergency orders, like HONG KONG in Tampa, which is still under a temporary closure order. This month, the most improved restaurants include CAPONE'S BISTRO AND BILLIARDS in Tarpon Springs, which now runs clean. But others remain in red alert, like TACO MIENDO ST PETE in St. Petersburg, which has been cited more than once in the last three months. Some restaurants in the Metro area have lost their licenses, including COURTYARD CAFE in Tampa. One former operator, POMPEY SEAFOOD in Clearwater, permanently closed. There are still 91 new openings in the Metro area to watch. COPPER INDIAN RESTAURANT in Tampa, HOWARD & PLATT in Tampa, and BEACH TAILGATORS in Clearwater are among them. Some of these may be in the process of getting their licenses confirmed by DBPR. Meanwhile, 3 announced via news, social media or operator signal, 94 new DBPR license records are still awaiting outside verification. These places are operating, but not yet confirmed by inspectors, so they remain in the regulatory blind spot. The pattern continues. Some of the worst offenders are still open, including TACO MIENDO ST PETE in St. Petersburg, and others like TACO REAL in Coral Springs, which failed multiple inspections. Some restaurants are so bad they have been cited for 10+ times in the last 90 days, and some have been shut down for 30+ days. It is the kind of behavior that makes you wonder if the food is safe to eat. The state continues to monitor restaurants. Some have been found to have failed to file annual reports, or their licenses are at risk due to paperwork lapses. But others continue to operate without inspection. Some restaurants have been found to be completely uninspected for 180+ days. Some have even been flagged as ghost licenses, operating under the radar. The worst offenders are still running, and their new operators are being watched. Some have been found to be at risk, while others have gone dark. In short, it’s a mixed bag of new entries and old failures, with plenty of red alerts, a few high-profile closures, and the ongoing struggle to keep restaurants clean and safe.

• COPPER INDIAN RESTAURANTTampaconfirmed open
• HOWARD & PLATTTampa
• BEACH TAILGATORSClearwater
• LEMME GETTA LLCLutz
• KIPS BBQ HUTClearwater

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