The new year is off to a bad start for some area restaurants.
Three local restaurants, Hunan in Crestview, the Grand Buffet in Pace and the Waffle House in Milton, were each issued emergency closure notices last week after failing their random health inspections by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
All three restaurants were shut down for cockroach activity, among other issues.
Hunan, located at 3375 S. Ferdon Boulevard in Crestview, was the first to be shut down on Jan. 6.
According to the DBPR inspection report, Hunan was cited for 17 violations, seven of them listed as high priority violations.
During the inspection, the DBPR inspector found eight live cockroaches in the restaurant’s kitchen area, including one that was on a to-go container. The inspector also found 11 dead cockroaches, including one that was in the container storing the rice.
Other violations the restaurant was cited for included finding debris in their sugar, food not being stored at the proper temperature and storing uncooked shrimp next to broccoli that is ready to eat.
Hunan was approved to reopen Jan. 7.
This was the second time in just 15 days that Hunan was issued an emergency closure notice by the DBPR. It was shut down on Dec. 22 for failing its health inspection and was sited for some of the same violations at that time, including cockroaches, storing uncooked meats next to vegetables that were ready to eat and using a pesticide marked for home use only at the restaurant.
Grand Buffet, a Chinese restaurant located at 4210 Highway 90 in Pace, was issued an emergency closure notice on Jan. 7.
According to its inspection report, 14 live cockroaches were found in the kitchen area, along with three dead ones. Other violations the restaurant was cited for included spoiled food kept in the walk-in freezer, serving raw or undercooked salmon and tuna in their sushi rolls that had not been treated for parasites and not having a certified food manager on duty.
Grand Buffet was not approved to reopen after follow-up inspections on Jan. 8 or 9. The restaurant was approved to reopen after passing its third follow-up inspection on Monday, Jan. 11.
The Waffle House located at 8555 Keshav Taylor Drive in Milton was shut down on Jan. 8 after an inspector found 38 live cockroaches under the restaurant’s dishwasher. Another three dead cockroaches were also found under the dishwasher.
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This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: 3 restaurants shut down over health violations, including cockroach in rice