Chinese restaurant fails four inspections to become county’s first intervention project
by Tom Stauffer on Sep. 22, 2007, under Local, Special, TasteA failed health inspection and three subsequent failed re-inspections of a local restaurant have prompted the Pima County Health Department to resort to a new strategy – intervention.
Gee’s Garden Bistro, 1145 N. Alvernon Way, is the first restaurant to go through the county’s intervention program, devised in 2002, said Sharon Browning, director of Pima County’s Consumer Health and Food Safety unit.
“It’s not like a last resort, but it’s close,” she said. “We’re trying to allow these people to stay open while they make significant changes, and it’s a tool that’s been in our toolbox, but one we’d never used until now.”
Gee’s Garden failed an unannounced inspection July 17, with the county’s sanitarian reporting several critical violations.
Under normal circumstances, the restaurant’s regular license to serve food is suspended and it is issued what’s known as a provisional license until the restaurant can regain its regular one by passing a follow-up inspection.
Such follow-up inspections are usually held 10 to 12 days after the initial inspection.
Gee’s Garden failed re-inspections July 27, Aug. 8 and Aug. 21.
“They had a history of several recurring violations,” Browning said.
The most serious problems at the restaurant shook out in three basic categories, Browning said.
● The presence of live and dead cockroaches;
● Foods kept at improper temperatures;
● Inadequate sanitation methods practiced by workers.
The restaurant has made significant efforts to correct the problems during the intervention, which Browning likened to “probation,” she said.
The intervention period will include unannounced inspections at irregular intervals through January, Browning said.
At that point, the restaurant could regain its regular license or have it revoked, she said.
A significant contributor to the insect and food-temperature problems was rectified by replacing old equipment and shutting down the restaurant’s sushi bar, said manager Bill Yiu.
Inspectors noted that some of the faulty equipment was harboring roaches.
“We tried to fix some of the old equipment a couple times, but they kept breaking down, so we moved out all the bad equipment,” Yiu said. “Everything is good now.”
In addition, the restaurant’s pest control program has been stepped up and training methods to teach proper sanitation practices to workers have been institiuted, Yiu said.
“They finally have the problems decreasing,” Browning said. “The light has finally gone on with them, and they’ve taken really noticeable and fundamental steps.”
———
RECENT FAILED INSPECTIONS
The Pima County Health Department issued these food establishments provisional licenses to serve food after they failed the latest round of inspections:
CHINA THAI CUISINE 6502 E. Tanque Verde Road
TONY ROMA’S* 750 N. Kolb Road
VIVA BURRITO* 2645 E. Speedway Blvd.
*Passed subsequent follow-up inspections in August that restored their regular licenses.
‘NEEDS IMPROVEMENT’
These food establishments scored “Needs Improvement” ratings:
COUNTRY FOLKS RESTAURANT 1015 E. Benson Highway
EL MANANTIAL HOT DOGS 510 W. Oregon St.
EL RINCON DE MICHOACAN 4109 E. Valentine Place
LOS BETOS MEXICAN FOOD 3640 S. Sixth Ave.
MOUNT LEMMON CAFE 12976 N. Sabino Canyon Parkway
ROBLES MARKET 15150 W. Ajo Way
SAFEWAY 1551 W. St. Mary’s Road
SONORA SNOW CONE 937 W. Congress St.
TUCSON CONVENTION CENTER 260 S. Church Ave.
Source: Consumer Health and Food Safety unit, Pima County Health Department
———
READ THE INSPECTION REPORTS
