Flies, rodents and an ‘objectionable odor’ at a chain restaurant’s Las Olas location
.png "The Stoner’s Pizza location on Fort Lauderdale’s Las Olas Boulevard failed three state restaurant inspections before cleared for reopening.")
Among the reasons a pizza chain’s Fort Lauderdale location failed three inspections last week: standing water, sitting rodent dung and a stink in the air.
At least there were no roaches (with legs, at least) spotted in the Stoner’s Pizza Joint at 1509 E. Las Olas Blvd. last week. But what the state inspector listed on the inspections were enough to keep Stoner’s closed before a Friday same-day re-inspection got it back open for weekend business.
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In addition to the five flies darting about the kitchen and hallway, there was an “accumulation of dead flies on a fly sticky trap in the kitchen below the cookline handwash sink.”
An exterior storage unit with a reach-in cooler, freezer and dry storage had nine rodent droppings. Another four were in a hallway under racks with preformed pizza boxes.
The inspector smelled an “objectionable odor in the hallway with the bathroom, leading to the storage room with the three-compartment sink.”
As for the restroom, the “exhaust fan was inoperable ... with no other form of ventilation.”
Air blew from the kitchen air conditioning vents through an “accumulation of dust.”
“Standing water on the kitchen floor in front of the flip top cooler.”
“Standing water in the kitchen reach-in cooler.”
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That was Wednesday. On Thursday, the inspector returned to find eight flies in the hallway leading to dry storage, one in the kitchen and the “operator began exterminating the remaining flying insects.” The inspection didn’t say whether this was done by spray or fly swatter.
As for the rodents, they left six pieces of poo in the exterior storage unit and another one in the hallway.
Friday’s re-re-inspection completed the hat trick once the inspector saw 10 rodent turds in the exterior storage unit.
Stoner’s cleaned that up and, with rodents either gone or constipated, passed one of those Friday same-day re-inspections.
This story was originally published August 5, 2024 at 12:19 PM.
