JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A popular restaurant chain that was shut down has reopened after two failing inspections. The Hodges Bob Evans restaurant was cleared as bug free. The restaurant was closed last week after a customer filed a complaint. There was no information about the complaint, but an inspector found roaches and the state forced the restaurant to close.
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The inspector documented five high-priority violations, including more than a dozen roaches in the kitchen. Nine were found under the grill on the cook line, five were crawling on the wall, and one was under the mixer; in an area where food is prepared.
Workers also had to throw out cold food because it was too warm to be considered safe. Ham, tomatoes, fish, hamburgers, cheese, spinach, and chicken had to be thrown away.
The inspector came back the next day and found fewer roaches, but still several in the same areas. The inspector gave management more time to address the problem. The inspector came back later that day and the restaurant was cleared to reopen.
John Fisher, president of Bob Evans Restaurants, sent Channel 4 a statement:
"At Bob Evans, we are committed to preparing wholesome, quality, safe foods for our guests; to maintaining the highest standards for safety and cleanliness; and to assuring our restaurants comply with all applicable local and state regulations.
"We were disappointed to learn the local health department had temporarily closed the Jacksonville, Florida, location. This situation was an isolated incident, which we took very seriously. We worked closely with local officials to swiftly address the issues that were raised and to put robust corrective measures in place.
"Our management team secured the services of a third-party food safety expert to guide our work, and they, along with our local management, worked diligently to bring the restaurant into compliance. In addition, we have reinforced our extensive food safety protocols with our entire team, and will retrain them as needed.
We look forward to welcoming our Jacksonville guests to our Bob Evans restaurants, and we are confident in our strong commitment to preparing and serving safe, high-quality foods."
The inspector found no high-priority violations during the third inspection.