Roaches shut down a Kendall Don Pan’s backroom bakery. Things can get worse
A state Inspector didn’t just shut down the backroom bakery area at a Kendall Don Pan — he has promised to end the location’s ability to get new food if a roach problem doesn’t get cleared up by the next full inspection.
Department of Agriculture Inspector Julio Azpura made the threat Monday at the Don Pan at 7701 North Kendall Dr. — in the strip mall at the Palmetto Expressway exit just west of Dadeland Mall — and reiterated it Wednesday.
During Wednesday’s focused and limited inspection, Azpura lifted the Stop Use Order he put on a walk-in cooler during Monday’s inspection when it failed to keep food cool enough to prevent bacteria from growing. But he kept the Stop Use Order on “all open food processing/handling” and “all food related equipment and utensils.”
The bakery received orders that “the affected storage areas must be completely cleared of all merchandise, cleaned and sanitized by the next inspection; no other merchandise may be added to the storage area, or a Broken Stop Use will be issued.
“If evidence of pest infestation is observed on the next inspection, a Stop Use Order will be issued on all receiving areas of the establishment, and the establishment will no longer be allowed to receive additional food items; a Stop Use Order of all processing equipment (if applicable) will be issued; and a Stop Sale Order of all exposed food items (if applicable) will be issued until the infestation is eradicated.”
The next full inspection is May 26.
Monday’s inspection said in the backroom bakery, “live roaches were found crawling in multiple sections of the storage area, including under the table, where dry food is stored; in crevices around floor tiles; between cardboard papers; cases of single serve stems; and nesting around wire shelving fixtures.”
Roaches weren’t the only problem Azpura found on Monday.
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▪ Despite all those roaches, there were “multiple packages of coffee beans stored directly on the floor” inside a backroom office.
▪ In the food service and food processing areas, “food employees did not wash hands between entering and exiting the various food processing areas and before donning gloves to handle food items for customer orders; after returning from the dumpster/outside grounds; and, after touching their face before handling clean utensils.”
▪ Kitchen food employees didn’t change single-use gloves “after the gloves became contaminated or when changing tasks.”
▪ The walk-in cooler had several racks of “all types of baked goods and bread, stored uncovered under a condenser fan.”
▪ The orange juice equipment parts and machine got washed, rinsed, but not sanitized.
▪ “Black, mold-like grime encrusted in the interior housing and ice-making portion of the ice machine.”
▪ A bakery mixer had “encrusted food residue on the underside of the tool attachment.”
▪ In the kitchen, “old food residue was encrusted on the deli slicer blade sharpener cover or top guard.”
▪ In the bakery and ware wash areas, the floor didn’t have enough drains or proper leveling “as there was evidence of water accumulated in the corners and also pooled water underneath reach-in freezers.”
▪ Ham in the walk-in cooler measured 46 to 50 degrees after four hours. It needed to be at 41 or under. Stop Sale.
▪ In the hot box, ham croquetas, guava and cheese pastelitos, ham cachitos, pan de bono, pan de queso and baked empanadas had been out of temperature control for four hours. Stop Sale on all and trashed.
▪ The wet wiping cloths sat on the food prep tables instead of in sanitizer solution, where they should have been.
▪ “Burned on grease deposits and carbon residue encrusted on the exterior of multiple baking trays.”
This story was originally published May 15, 2025 at 12:43 PM.
