Wichita inspections: Ants on flour, roaches on mini fridge, popcorn boxes on floor
A nutrition store, a popcorn maker, a motel and four restaurants failed their Kansas Department of Agriculture food safety and lodging inspections last week. Their violations include having no hot water because of a broken heater, a waitress who touched a customer’s toast with her bare hands and storing boxes of food on the floor where they’re more susceptible to pests, a check of Sedgwick County’s non-compliant inspections from June 20-26 shows.
One business had “about 20 ants crawling over a knife on top of a flour bag” in its bakery area, reports show.
Another, the motel, had a roach problem in several rooms. In one, an inspector saw roaches crawling on the seal of a mini refrigerator, reports say.
A list of the seven local non-compliant businesses, compiled June 28, appears below with a summary of the problems inspectors noted on their reports. More information, including specific violation descriptions and inspection dates, is posted in The Eagle’s searchable, non-compliant restaurant and hotel inspection database at www.kansas.com/databases.
At least 40 businesses surveyed last week passed their inspections with few or no violations. You can see those at www.foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.
Failing an inspection doesn’t necessarily mean a business has to close; that’s rare. Most violations are minor and are immediately corrected on site. Businesses fall out of compliance with state rules when they have too many violations or certain types of problems that may increase the risk of a customer contracting a food-borne illness, or when a problem can’t be fixed right away, like plumbing issues and pest infestations.
When a business fails, it’s usually inspected again within 10 days.
To complain about conditions anywhere that serves or sells food to the public, email kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767.
Recent out-of-compliance inspections:
Baskin-Robbins, 2126 N. Webb Rd. in Wichita — Three violations for no hot water in facility, water too cool at sinks due to water heater not working. Follow-up inspection scheduled for July 9.
Country Cafe, 2804 S. Seneca in Wichita — Two violations for a waitress touching toast with her bare hands, “about 20 ants crawling over a knife on top of a flour bag” in the bakery area. Follow-up inspection scheduled for July 3.
Kernel’s Popcorn Express, 1101 E. Second St. in Wichita — Three violations for storing cardboard boxes of popcorn against a wall which inhibits inspections and exterminator services, sanitizer used to clean tables and equipment was too strong and there were no strips to test its strength on site, boxes of popcorn stored on the floor where they may become contaminated. Follow-up inspection scheduled for July 4.
Mark 8 Inn, 1130 N. Broadway in Wichita — Twelve violations for storing cups in room bathrooms, no window screens on several rooms, regular outlets installed by bathroom sinks instead of GFCI outlets, emergency lights don’t work in south building, living and dead roaches in rooms, no records that show CO detector in laundry room or smoke detectors had been tested, smoke detectors missing from hallways and rooms, smoke detectors last tested in 2018, “accumulation of dirt and debris under the beds and along the baseboards” in some rooms, roaches on seal of mini fridge, roaches in bathroom and behind pictures on walls. Follow-up inspection scheduled for July 3.
Supplement World, 552 N. Ridge Rd. in Wichita — Three violations for not marking opening date on milk gallon, no equipment to test strength of sanitizer, hand-washing sink blocked by two large boxes and a trash can. Follow-up inspection scheduled for July 5.
Tight Ends Sports Bar & Grill, 524 S. Seneca in Wichita — Eight violations for employee not washing hands after touching dirty dishes, fish thawed improperly, pan of raw beef stored above cooked shrimp in cooler, other raw foods stored above ready-to-eat foods, refried beans stored in a way that didn’t allow them to cool off quickly enough, chicken wings weren’t kept cold enough in refrigerated preparation table, no sanitizer in dishwashing machine, no soap at bathroom sink, sanitizer stored by to-go lids. Follow-up inspection scheduled for July 1.
Tuta’s Teriyaki, 1212 S. Tyler Ste. 100 in Wichita — Seven violations for raw eggs stored above cooked shrimp in cooler, raw eggs were too warm, no food probe thermometer, dirty knives and food slicers, no hand-drying supplies, “heavy build up of grease and food debris” on the floor under the wok and grill, food debris under shelf, unlabeled chemical bottle in men’s bathroom. Follow-up inspection scheduled for July 1.
This story was originally published July 2, 2021 at 4:44 AM.
