You just saw a roach in the restaurant kitchen? How to report it and what you can do

Jeff Kleinman
·2 min read

Is there anything worse than spotting a roach in the restaurant kitchen flour bin? Well, maybe finding half a roach.

So what can you do?

Aside from telling your waiter or the manager, you can report your creepy-crawly discovery to the state of Florida agency that keeps track of these things.

Here’s what you need to know about restaurant inspections in Florida:

Who inspects restaurants?

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation sends inspectors into restaurants.

What are inspectors looking for?

They are looking for a variety of violations that include:

▪ Dirty kitchen equipment such as crusty meat slicers and slimy soda machines.

▪ Live and dead insects and rodents, and the poop they leave behind.

▪ Food safety that includes storage temperatures and labeling dates.

▪ Malfunctioning or broken equipment such as sinks.

Restaurants and food stores are inspected by the state of Florida. Inspectors are looking for food safety and cleanliness. Customers and diners can report problems, too.
Restaurants and food stores are inspected by the state of Florida. Inspectors are looking for food safety and cleanliness. Customers and diners can report problems, too.

What if a restaurant fails inspection?

If an inspector determines the management needs to address violations before serving food to customers, the restaurant will be shut down until it passes re-inspection, usually in a day or two.

Can a diner report a problem?

Customers who see an issue can file a complaint with the Florida Department of Business Regulation.

What about grocery stores?

Florida food stores are inspected by another state agency, the Department of Agriculture.

Unlike restaurants, grocers — which include grocery stores, supermarkets, mini-marts, convenience stores, food storage, food distribution and food processing facilities — are generally not shut down if they fail inspection. Instead, inspectors order the stop-sale of specific products. Problem with the deli bologna? No more bologna sales until things get straightened out, for instance.

Inspectors are looking for unsafe or unsanitary food storage — they want hot food kept hot and cold food kept cold, and everything under a cover. They also are on the prowl for insects, rodents, critter-gnawed merchandise, workers who don’t follow cleanliness rules like hand-washing, and filth on equipment such as deli slicers.

Customers can also report problem to the Department of Agriculture by filing a complaint.