In the inspections conducted on February 27, the GNR county health departments slammed two restaurants with an unsatisfactory “U” grade. The minimum required score to pass an inspection is 70 points, which both restaurants failed to achieve.
The Star Bakery, Pasteleria Y Pupuseria in Lilburn, failed the inspection after scoring only 56 points. Fly Chef Restaurant in Norcross scored 61 points, failing the inspection. The latter was reported for a third consecutive violation in a routine inspection, which resulted in its permit being suspended and later reinstated.
Highlights
- Two restaurants in Metro Atlanta were bashed with an Unsatisfactory “U” grade by the GNR county health departments on Thursday, and one of them temporarily got its permit suspended.
- Issues concerning hygiene, storage, employee practices, and others were reported at the restaurants.
- Follow-up inspections have been scheduled for restaurants within 10 days.
What Went Wrong at Fly Chef Restaurant?
Fly Chef Restaurant, located at 6470 Spalding Dr, Norcross, was inspected on Thursday afternoon. The restaurant, which serves Nigerian cuisine, was found to be in violation of several provisions of the Food Code.
As a third consecutive violation was recorded, the inspectors suspended the restaurant’s license and reinstated it after on-site training was given. The violation was noted by the inspectors after they saw bowls with no handles stored as scoops in several foods.
There was also a scoop in the sugar container with a handle in direct contact with food. In the case of a second consecutive violation, three bags of beans were also stored on the floor inside the dry storage area. If the same food code is found to be violated again, the restaurant may face permit suspension again.
The report held the Person in charge responsible for the several risk factor violations observed at the restaurant during the inspection. It stated that the violations resulted from an overall lack of active managerial control at the establishment. The PIC was also not able to demonstrate that the employees were aware of their responsibilities to report specific symptoms and illnesses they may have. The Certified Food Safety Manager certificate, the permit, and the recent inspection report were also not posted at the restaurant.
Employees were seen working in the kitchen without wearing proper hair restraints. An employee was seen cutting onions without washing them.
Several tomatoes had gray mold-like growth on the surface inside the dry storage area. Time/temperature controls for safety foods prepared more than 24 hours ago were also missing time labels.
A lighter was stored in the microwave, and another was seen in the chest freezer. The facility lacked a thermometer for measuring thin masses of food and test strips for measuring sanitizer concentrations. Two spray bottles containing ammonia and a soap/sanitizer mixture were seen without labels indicating their common name.
There were also two holes in the ceiling above the cooking area in the kitchen. A hole was also seen in the cove base below the meat and vegetable sink areas.
The restaurant had successfully scored an “A” in the previous inspections conducted in February 2024 and March 2023.
A few Issues Remain Unresolved, Follow-up Inspection Soon
The inspectors supervised the corrections of most of the issues mentioned above during the inspection. However, the remaining issues must be solved by the deadlines mentioned in the report. If the restaurant fails to correct the issues by then, its permit may be suspended.
The report also instructed that the restaurant must ensure that raw meats are properly separated from each other in the freezer storage based on the minimum cook temperature.
The raw meats must also be properly separated from ready-to-eat foods.
The restaurant will undergo informal inspections on March 6 and March 27 to ensure that specific violations have been resolved. A formal follow-up inspection will also occur in 10 days. An additional required inspection will occur within 12 months. The full report for the restaurant can be found here.
Food Safety Violations Reported at Star Bakery, Pasteleria Y Pupuseria
Star Bakery, Pasteleria Y Pupuseria is located at 733 Pleasant Hill Rd, Suite 1119, in Lilburn. The health department inspected the restaurant between 11:30 AM and 3 PM on Thursday. Among the violations recorded was a second consecutive violation.
In a case of repeated violation, an employee was seen eating and drinking inside the kitchen. Their water bottle and cups, without secure lids and straws, were seen stored on the prep table. Further, the employee was seen relocating the drink and using the same glove while prepping an onion.
Soil accumulations and sticker residue were seen on the non-food-contact surfaces of dishes and ice machines. Dishes were seen stacked wet. Inspectors also saw live roaches infesting the facility. The working chemical bottles were seen to be unlabeled.
An employee was seen cutting onions without washing them first, and bags of flour were stored directly on the floor.
Overfilled containers were stored at the bottom of the reach-in cooler. Cheese and pork pupuseria were on the stored prep table above the required temperature. They also saw that several food items were not cooling fast enough. Other food items held past 24 hours were seen lacking date marks. Raw meats were stored in plastic grocery bags inside the freezer.
Most Issues Resolved, Follow-up Inspection Upcoming
Most of the issues mentioned above were resolved, and a few remain unresolved. The deadline to resolve the issues is mentioned in the inspection report, which the restaurant is expected to strictly adhere to.
The follow-up inspection will occur within 10 days of the last inspection. An additional inspection will also occur within 12 months. The full inspection report has been released online.
A total of 12 restaurants scored a perfect 100 in the inspections conducted on Thursday. The number of Restaurants that scored between 90 and 99 was 16, scoring 80 to 89 was 5, and 70 to 79 had one. A total of 36 restaurants were inspected on February 27 by the Gwinnett, Newton & Rockdale County Health Departments.
