Spoiled milk for shakes, rodent poop, bed bugs at Wichita KS restaurants, hotels
Spoiled milk in a shake mix machine, rodent poop, old food, employees who didn’t wash their hands, bed bugs, dirty equipment and more are among violations state inspectors discovered during recent food safety and lodging inspections in the Wichita area.
Each week, The Eagle adds to its searchable database of failed inspections from Sedgwick County. Seven restaurants and other businesses were non-compliant with state regulations from June 21-27.
Inspectors found few or no violations that week at more than 40 other locations deemed compliant with food safety and lodging rules.
Kansas Department of Agriculture inspections are meant to protect the public from foodborne illnesses and other health risks. Locations can fail if they have too many problems, certain types of violations or issues that can’t be fixed right away.
Violations are common. Most of the time, they’re corrected in front of an inspector. Examples of things that can be addressed immediately include serving food that’s more than a week old, employees mishandling ingredients and dirty kitchens. Issues that may take longer to correct include pest infestations, power outages and plumbing problems.
It’s rare, but a business may be temporarily shut down over violations.
Locations that fail are usually reinspected within 10 days.
The list in this report was compiled on July 1 using information available from the state on that date. It covers Sedgwick County only.
But you can search food safety and lodging inspection results elsewhere in Kansas at https://foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.
Out-of-compliance inspections
Braum’s Ice Cream & Dairy Store, 3641 N. Rock Road in Wichita — Seven violations on June 22 during a complaint inspection. Spoiled milk in shake mix machine, lettuce and sliced tomatoes were not labeled with the time they were removed from refrigeration, staff members took orders and payments then made milkshakes and ice creams without washing hands, boxes of gloves were stored below restroom cleaner, milk mix was not kept cold enough, dirty pans and vegetable dicer, restaurant put a pan of diced tomatoes that was supposed to be thrown out into the refrigerator. Next inspection: July 2.
Economy Hotel, 550 S. Florence in Wichita — One violation on June 23 during a modified complaint inspection. Evidence of bed bugs in one guest room. The room was closed until the pest problem was treated. Next inspection: July 3.
Jump Start, 730 N. Broadway in Wichita — Two violations on June 22 during a follow-up inspection. No paper towels at bathroom sinks, no soap in bathrooms. Next inspection: July 2.
Jump Start, 4414 W. Maple in Wichita — Seven violations on June 26 during a licensing-operational inspection. No sanitizer available, no sanitizer test strips on site, rodent droppings under soda fountain, no three-compartment sink or other dishwashing station available, business didn’t have a hand-washing sink for the soda and coffee area, no written plan for vomit or diarrhea, no dishwasher detergent or cleaner available. Next inspection: July 6.
Motel 6 & Studio 6, 5736 W. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — One violation on June 25 during a follow-up inspection. No evacuation diagrams in at least two guest rooms. The next inspection date wasn’t listed.
The Pinnacle Pizza Company, 832 N. Webb, Suite 400 in Wichita — Five violations on June 22 during its first operational inspection after licensing. Sneeze guard at salad bar was up and not protecting food from contamination, old cheese and beef, old black olives, several foods on the salad bar including lettuce and eggs were not kept cold enough, no test strips on site for chlorine sanitizer, no chlorine sanitizer in dishwashing machine. Next inspection: July 3.
Pizza Hut, 410 N. Hillside in Wichita — One violation on June 26 during a routine inspection. No hot water at sink in employee restroom and at three-compartment sink. Next inspection: July 6.
Where to complain
If you see problems at a food or lodging establishment, you can file a complaint.
To notify the state about unsavory or questionable conditions anywhere that serves or sells food to the public, email kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767. You can also file a complaint at www.foodsafetykansas.org.
To report an illness you think was caused by a restaurant, food or event where food was served, contact the Kansas Department of Health and Environment at 877-427-7317 or www.foodsafetykansas.org.
Complaints about conditions at hotels and motels can be submitted at www.agriculture.ks.gov/public-resources/comments-complaints/lodging-complaint.
For more information about foodborne illnesses, visit www.foodsafety.gov.
Note: Sometimes addresses listed — especially for mobile vendors and food trucks — are not where food is actually served to the public. Contact those establishments directly for specific service locations.
The violation summaries were compiled and drafted with the help of AI tools. They were fact-checked for accuracy and edited by Wichita Eagle journalists.
