JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Stars Caribbean got the red light from health inspectors this week when the restaurant was written up for roaches and shut down for several days.
The owner, Eulalee McKenzie, said she believes the problem started when she went on vacation for the holidays and closed her restaurant for over a week. Since no one was around, the kitchen wasn't cleaned.
According to the inspector's report, over a dozen live roaches were found on the shelves, the wall, countertop and a table in the kitchen. Roach droppings were spotted near the storage shelves where the dishes had to be rewashed. Over two dozen dead roaches were swept up from the kitchen floor and dining area.
Stars Caribbean on Blanding Boulevard has been serving jerk chicken and oxtails in the Murray Hill neighborhood for the past decade. This is the first time it was forced to close.
McKenzie said she isn't sure where the roaches crawled in from but she's making sure they stay out by sealing all the cracks around corners of the restaurant.
The restaurant has used the same pest control company for 13 years. McKenzie thinks it may be time to change it up now.
Stars Caribbean was bug-free after three days and allowed to reopen Monday with zero high-priority violations.