Panama City Beach restaurant temporarily closed after 135 rodent droppings uncovered

Staff reports
·6 min read

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Florida's restaurant owners are not required to post restaurant inspection results where guests can see them. So every week, we provide that information for you.

For a complete list of local restaurant inspections, including violations not requiring warnings or administrative action, visit our Bay County restaurant inspections site.

Here's the breakdown for recent health inspections in Bay County for the week of July 31-Aug. 6, 2023. Please note that some more recent, follow-up inspections may not be included here.

Disclaimer: The Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation describes an inspection report as a 'snapshot' of conditions present at the time of the inspection. On any given day, an establishment may have fewer or more violations than noted in their most recent inspection. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term conditions at the establishment.

For full restaurant inspection details, visit our Bay County restaurant inspection site.

Which Bay County restaurants got perfect scores on their health inspections?

These restaurants met all standards during their July 31-Aug. 6 inspections and no violations were found.

** Restaurants that failed an inspection and aced a follow-up inspection in the same week

Which Bay County restaurants were temporarily closed by inspectors?

These restaurants failed their July 31-Aug. 6 inspections and were temporarily closed. Follow-upinspections are required.

Dee's Hangout

527 N. Richard Jackson Blvd., Panama City Beach

Complaint Inspection on Aug. 3

Facility Temporarily Closed: Operations ordered stopped until violations are corrected.

7 total violations, with 3 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Raw shell eggs over cheeses in oyster station. Eggs moved to bottom at time of inspection. **Corrected On-Site**

  • High Priority - Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. 1 live on kitchen wall by grill station. **Warning**

  • High Priority - Rodent activity present as evidenced by a total of approximately 135 rodent droppings found in the following locations: Approximately 40 droppings observed on top of dirty rice boxes in dry storage, approximately 50 droppings observed in dry storage corner underneath plastic soufflé cup storage, 12 droppings on rear bar glass storage counter, 23 droppings observed on top of unused steam table in prep room. **Warning**

Which Bay County restaurants had high priority violations?

Courtyard Panama City

905 E. 23 Place, Panama City

Routine Inspection on July 31

Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public.

3 total violations, with 2 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook line upright by ice machine: cooked potatoes 50F, raw bacon 56F, cheddar 56F, pepper jack cheese 56F, tater tots 57F, cooked sausage 56F, raw shell eggs ambient temp 56F according to digital display 54F by thermometer. All items in cooler overnight per employee. see stop sale. **Repeat Violation**

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook line upright by ice machine: cooked potatoes 50F, raw bacon 56F, cheddar 56F, pepper jack cheese 56F, tater tots 57F, cooked sausage 56F, raw shell eggs ambient temp 56F according to digital display 54F by thermometer. All items in cooler overnight per employee. see stop sale. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**

Dee's Hangout

527 N Richard Jackson Blvd, Panama City Beach

Complaint Inspection on Aug. 3

Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public.

3 total violations, with 2 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - - From initial inspection : High Priority - Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. 1 live on kitchen wall by grill station. **Warning** - From follow-up inspection 2023-08-03: No roach activity observed. **Time Extended**

  • High Priority - - From initial inspection : High Priority - Rodent activity present as evidenced by a total of approximately 135 rodent droppings found in the following locations: Approximately 40 droppings observed on top of dirty rice boxes in dry storage, approximately 50 droppings observed in dry storage corner underneath plastic soufflé cup storage, 12 droppings on rear bar glass storage counter, 23 droppings observed on top of unused steam table in prep room. **Warning** - From follow-up inspection 2023-08-03: No rodent activity observed. **Time Extended**

Lulu's

9902 S. Thomas Dr, Panama City Beach

Routine Inspection on Aug. 2

Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public.

7 total violations, with 2 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Observed employee arrive to work, washed hands in three compartment sink using used dish water and begin putting on gloves to work with food. Manger corrected employee. Employee washed hands. **Corrected On-Site**

  • High Priority - Operating with an expired Division of Hotels and Restaurants license. Expired 6-1-23 **Admin Complaint**

Mcdonald's

1025 W. 23 St., Panama City

Routine Inspection on July 31

Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public.

4 total violations, with 1 high-priority violation

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Double sided prep area cooler: butter 50F, Canadian bacon 47F, less than 4 hours, moved to colder unit at time of inspection **Corrective Action Taken**

What agency inspects restaurants in Florida?

Routine regulation and inspection of restaurants is conducted by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The Department of Health is responsible for investigation and control of food-borne illness outbreaks associated with all food establishments.

How do I report a dirty restaurant in Florida?

If you see abuses of state standards, report them and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation will send inspectors. Call the Florida DBPR at 850-487-1395 or report a restaurant for health violations online.

Get the whole story at our restaurant inspection database.

What does all that terminology in Florida 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 health, safety or welfare of the public.

A 24-hour call-back inspection will be performed after an emergency closure or suspension of license.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City area restaurant and food truck inspections: July 31-Aug. 6, 2023