2 Polk County restaurants fall short of standards in recent reports. See why

Andy Kuppers, Lakeland Ledger
·3 min read

In an exceptionally light week of inspections, only two Polk County restaurants fell short of standards May 6-12, according to state inspection reports.

Among 11 inspections logged for the week, nine met standards and two were perfect in initial inspections – which is an inspection that’s not a follow-up mandated by previous violations. There were no violations for rodents or insects.

Among the two restaurants, both were callbacks mandated by inspections in February. There were five total violations between the two, three of which were clerical in nature – training or licensing issues. In both cases, an administrative complaint was recommended for repeat violations.

April 22-May 5: 5 Polk County restaurants fall short of inspection standards. See why

Each week, The Ledger details the violations of restaurants that fell short of standards so readers can decide. As always, you can view inspection reports for any food vendor in Polk County at our searchable database: https://data.theledger.com/restaurant-inspections/polk.

Restaurants that fell short, and why

  • Mia Pizza, 2440 Sand Mine Road, Davenport: On May 7, the restaurant had a follow-up from a previous inspection on Feb. 27. Two violations remained, both intermediate. The inspector noted there was no chemical test kit provided when using sanitizer at the three-compartment sink or dish machine. And the restaurant lacked proof of required state-approved food-safety training for employees. An administrative complaint was recommended and another follow-up required.

  • Sundays Grill, 2414 Sandmine Road, Davenport: On May 7, the restaurant had a follow-up from a Feb. 26 inspection. Three violations remained: It was operating on an expired Division of Hotels and Restaurants license (high priority), it lacked proof of required food-safety training for employees (intermediate), and a pipe was leaking at a handwash sink (basic). An administrative complaint was recommended and another follow-up required.

April 8-21: Two Polk restaurants closed by inspectors: 1 for roaches, another for construction issues

Perfect restaurants

These two restaurants achieved the elusive perfect initial inspection May 6-12.

April 1-7: Five Polk County restaurants fail to meet inspection standards. See why

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 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.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: 2 Polk County restaurants fall short of standards May 6-12. See why