'The blame falls solely on me'

MILTON — Following Ollie’s Neighborhood Grill’s temporary closure, owner Jon Anderson said he has made changes to benefit the restaurant and his customers.

The restaurant, located on Highway 90 in Milton, closed March 31 after Department of Business and Professional Regulation staffers found a number of violations during a routine inspection.

Presence of one live cockroach and a few dead ones, as well as a black mold-like substance inside the ice machine and ice bin, were among violations, according to the report.

When the inspector returned the following morning, all of the high priority violations had been corrected, as well as most of the other violations, and the business re-opened.

According to Anderson, issues found by the inspectors included a sewage backup from a tampon being flushed down the toilet.

“It was embarrassing; that’s for sure,” Anderson said, adding he wants to apologize to the community.

“The blame solely falls on me,” he said. “It’s a lack of attention to details.”

But that was then.

A plumber visited the restaurant to resolve the sewage issues. Then, cleaning began.

“We tore out the entire kitchen, pulled everything outside and cleaned it top to bottom,” Anderson said, "from the ceiling to the floors — everything in between.”

All the floors were thoroughly cleaned — scrubbed and sanitized, he said.

“I just got the carpets done … and the bar floors are … done,” Anderson said.

He said he has implemented new cleaning schedules for all levels of the business, from management to dishwashers.

As for bug problems, “We just have to deal with it and keep it under control,” Anderson said, adding that nearby swamps do present challenges.

Further, Anderson said he plans to get a quote from a landscaper to improve the building’s exterior.

But some things haven’t changed.

 “We’re still doing live music on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays,” Anderson said. “Karaoke is on Thursdays and Saturdays.

“We are open on Sunday now, for brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and then we are open until midnight.”

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: 'The blame falls solely on me'