Restaurant, hotel inspections: See Wichita-area businesses that are out of compliance
The Wichita Eagle curates a searchable database of non-compliant food safety and lodging inspections in Sedgwick County compiled from Kansas Department of Agriculture reports. The database includes information about problems inspectors found at a variety of Wichita-area businesses and establishments — including restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, schools, hotels and motels, movie theaters and clubs.
The database is updated regularly with the prior week’s non-compliant inspections.
You can search by business name or address, by inspection date or by violation type using keywords like “cockroach” or “mold” or “bedbug.” You can also filter for a range of dates.
To see violations at all establishments, simply hit the search button. The most current inspections are listed first.
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When is a business out of compliance?
It’s common for businesses to have some violations during an inspection. The number and kind of violations discovered, though, determine whether a business appears on the non-compliant list.
A business is considered out of compliance if an inspector finds three or more priority violations — those that directly affect the prevention of food-borne illnesses — or five or more priority foundation violations, which are issues that could lead to problems preventing food-borne illnesses. Both types are considered critical violations and require immediate attention.
A business is also out of compliance if it has a problem that isn’t or can’t be corrected immediately in front of an inspector, like a plumbing problem. Businesses found to be non-compliant are required to have follow-up inspections. Inspectors also note what’s known as core violations on their reports. But those aren’t considered critical.
The frequency of inspections depends on the type of facility. Most restaurants, for example, are routinely inspected once every 12 to 18 months. All establishments are inspected when they open as part of the licensing process and also when someone complains about conditions.
Inspections can take place at any time, and follow-up inspections take place if violations aren’t corrected on site immediately.
How to complain about conditions
You can complain about conditions at any business that serves or sells food to the public by emailing kda.fsl@ks.gov or calling 785-564-6767. You can also file a complaint at www.foodsafetykansas.org.
To file a confidential food safety complaint involving an illness, contact the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Response 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.
Food establishments include grocery stores, gas stations and convenience stores, senior meal sites, mobile food units, restaurants and schools. Food processors include wholesalers, warehouses, packers and manufacturers.
Lodging establishments include hotels and motels, boarding houses and any other operation that charges for sleeping accommodations.
You can learn more about Kansas’ lodging and food safety laws here.
For more information about foodborne illnesses, visit www.foodsafety.gov.
This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 4:16 PM.
