Failed health inspections close 10 restaurants in Fresno area. Here’s the list
A lack of hot water, backed-up sewage and fire damage were among the factors that prompted the temporary closure of 10 restaurants and food businesses across Fresno County after failed health inspections in January.
Most of the closures only lasted a day or two, but three of the businesses remained closed this week until the problems cited by Fresno County health inspectors are resolved. Eight of the businesses are in Fresno, along with one in Huron and one in Parlier.
At Tacos La Piedad, on Hughes Avenue in central Fresno, a Jan. 12 inspection revealed that the restaurant was going through a kitchen remodel, but in the meantime using a pair of outdoor cooktops hooked up to propane tanks, and a fire pit was being used under a makeshift tent in the parking lot. Food preparation was happening in the kitchen despite portions of the ceiling missing. An inspector also found food being stored alongside chemicals.
“This facility is ordered to close as restaurant is not in a physical condition conducive to maintaining food safety,” a health inspector wrote in the report.
The restaurant remains closed until the construction is completed and a re-inspection conducted. While the kitchen is closed, however, the business is allowed to use a storage room inside the restaurant for food preparation only for mobile service, provided food is stored in refrigerators and packaged in sealed containers in the dining area where the ceiling is intact.
Still closed following a Jan. 30 inspection is the John Palacios Community Center in Huron, where the fire-suppression system was found to be non-functional.
And in northeast Fresno, inspectors ordered the closure of the Buatong Thai Vegan Restaurant on North First Street following a kitchen fire that did extensive damage. The restaurant is closed until repairs are completed and the facility passes a reinspection.
The other eatery closures include:
Spicy Mayo Hibachi, 2088 W. Shaw Ave. in Fresno, closed Jan. 4 due to a lack of hot water at sinks in the kitchen. It was allowed to reopen later the same day.
Pizza Pirate, 520 J St. in Parlier, closed on Jan. 16 because of evidence of rodent activity and excessive buildup and debris in the kitchen. It reopened the next day following a reinspection.
Sakura Chaya, 690 E. Nees Ave. in Fresno, closed Jan. 21 due to a lack of hot water at sinks in the kitchen. A reinspection the next day allowed the restaurant to reopen.
Quesadilla Gorilla and Ampersand Ice Cream, both in a strip mall at Echo and Weldon avenues near Fresno High School, were closed on Jan. 29 after backed-up sewage was surfacing and affected the entire mall. Both restaurants reopened the following day after repairs were made.
Royal Taj Fine Indian Cuisine, in the same center as Buatong Thai Vegan Restaurant at First Street and Herndon Avenue in northeast Fresno, was closed because the Jan. 31 fire at the neighboring restaurant knocked out power and caused a leaky ceiling.. It reopened on Feb. 2 after repairs were made.
Pen-Ta-Zapp, a mobile food vendor, was closed after a Jan. 31 inspection at the Fresno Kaiser Permanente farmers market in northeast Fresno revealed a lack of water and hot water. The business was allowed to reopen Feb. 2.
A lack of hot water is one of the most common violations inspectors from the Department of Public Health find when they make their routine visits. Hot water at a temperature of at least 120 degrees is considered important by inspectors for safely washing pots, pans, dishes and glasses, as well as for employees to wash their hands.
Insect or vermin infestations are another type of violation that can result in immediate closure of restaurants or food businesses when they are observed by health inspectors.
Among other serious concerns for food safety are refrigerators that don’t keep food cold enough or steam tables that don’t keep food hot enough to inhibit bacterial growth, or clogged sinks or drains that cause contaminated water to back up into kitchens.
In most instances, however, if an inspector finds a problem, it’s something that can be fixed on the spot — issues such as having enough bleach or sanitizer in the water used to wipe down food-preparation areas, putting lids back onto containers in walk-in refrigerators, replenishing soap, paper towels and toilet paper in the restrooms, or reminding employees to wash their hands and wear gloves and hairnets.
