The following are among the food service establishments inspected from April 21-May 12 by the Hall County Environmental Health Department. Food service establishments are given a letter grade that coincides with a percentile: "A" (90-100), "B" (80-89), "C" (70-79), "U" 69 and below. Inspections (frequency of) a food service establishment are conducted based on risk categorization. The risk type is determined by the menu items served, the food preparation processed performed, and the previous food safety history in the food service establishment.
A new food service establishment that has never served food must score 100 (A) to receive a food service permit to operate. When a restaurant changes ownership, a new food service permit must be issued.
To be issued a food service permit for a change of ownership, the establishment must score a 95 (A) or above with all Foodborne Illness Risk factors and Public Health Interventions in compliance. Permits must be posted in public view at all times. Food service establishments with drive-thru windows will also be required to have the top one-third of a copy of the most current inspection report visible through each window allowing customers to easily read the score, date of inspection and establishment information, in addition to the copy posted inside the establishment. Copies of the rules are available at the Hall County Environmental health Office. The rules and regulations are also available online.
To register a complaint against a food service establishment, contact the Hall County Environmental Health Department at 770-531-3973.
April 21
Starbuck's Coffee Company
821 Dawsonville Highway, Suite 210, Gainesville
Score: 97, Grade: A
Many heavy whipping cream containers expired per manufacturer's expiration date.
Inspector: Shelby Finch
Lanier Elementary School
4782 Thompson Bridge Road, Gainesville
Score: 96, Grade: A
Spray bottles of sanitizer incorrectly labeled with old sanitizer product and not new product in use. Using old chemical bottle (floor cleaner) to mix new sanitizer solution. Walk-in cooler evaporator drain with condensation from piping dripping (into pan). Dumpster No. 2 is leaking liquid from right front "leg" (facing Dumpster).
Inspector: Laurie Wentworth
April 22
East Hall High School
3534 East Hall Road, Gainesville
Score: 93, Grade: A
Several squeeze bottles of ranch dressing prepared in house labeled for discard yesterday, but old labels were not removed after cleaning and sanitizing and refilling with fresh dressing. Eight out of 12 sno-cream flavored milks for displayed in cooler for service had passed manufacturers use or sell-by-date.
Inspector: Wentworth
Subway
984 Riverside Drive, Gainesville
Score: 95, Grade: A
Sanitizer solution in three-compartment sink (ammonium chloride) and cloth bucket over 400 ppm per test strips. Dumpster door left open and trash bags falling out.
Inspector: Finch
April 26
Greens Tavern
4856 Hog Mountain Road, Flowery Branch
Score: 98, Grade: A
Gaskets on walk-in cooler and freezer are damaged. Floors need better cleaning around water heater and under, behind equipment and in corners.
Inspector: Kathleen McDuffie
April 28
Centennial Elementary School
815 Century Place, Gainesville
Score: 100, Grade: A
Inspector: Donna Black
May 6
El Taco Veloz No. 3
950 Jessie Jewell Parkway, Gainesville
Score: 84, Grade: B
Five-gallon bucket of tea and several items in walk in uncovered. Microwave with food debris, splatters. Cutting boards need replacing or resurfacing. Chicken at 82-88 F after two hours on counter. Pans, utensils stored wet. Single serve items (forks, spoons, salt, sugar) stored in old box wrapped in foil or boxes lined with napkins. Grease container covered with grease. Grease container has dripped grease onto pavement. Trash on pavement in enclosure. Ceiling tiles in cook and prep areas not approved. Floors have several areas of cracked tiles where water, food, etc., accumulate.
Inspector: McDuffie
Fair Street Elementary
Fair Street, Gainesville
Score: 100, Grade: A
Inspector: Black
Sweet Monkey Frozen Yogurt
890 Dawsonville Highway, Suite D, Gainesville
Score: 88, Grade: B
Topping bar where cut melons are being stored is not a refrigerated unit. Melons are potentially hazardous so once they are prepared (cut) they must be held cold at 41 F or below. Sneeze shields over front topping bar is not adequate to protect items that are in the front (not covered). Since fruit is to be prepped at preparation sink a 12-inch splash guard will need to be installed between the prep sink and drain board on dirty side of 3-compartment sink. Topping containers (whole wall of these containers) sitting on the floor.
Inspector: Wentworth
Chestnut Mountain Elementary School
4841 Union Church Road, Flowery Branch
Score: 98, Grade: A
Scoop laying in ice in ice machine. Dried food debris on the sharpening wheel for slicer blade, food debris (dried) on holder above blade of slicer. Drawer holders with accumulation of crumbs. Shelf above prep table sticky, dusty.
Inspector: Wentworth
Panera Bread
Dawsonville Highway, Gainesville
Score: 90, Grade: A
Eggs (118 F) and sausage (114 F) on hot hold line not at required hot hold temperature of 135 F. All light bulbs in front kitchen over food should be replaced with shatterproof light bulbs and near oven area; 11 lights need to be replaced. Cracked light shields in back kitchen need replaced.
Inspector: Finch
Waffle House No. 615
3175 Frontage Road, Gainesville
Score: 76, Grade: C
Food employee did not wash hands between different tasks such as touching raw bacon then touching clean utensils and plates, hash brown scoop, and jelly packet on plate. Make-line cooler not keeping food 41 F or less. Cheese temperature at 56 F and ham at 48 F. Eight containers of chocolate milk in reach-in cooler expired May 3. Gloves not discarded between tasks (i.e. going between raw food to clean and sanitized dishes to be used for customer).
Inspector: Finch
Martin Elementary
4216 Martin Road, Flowery Branch
Score: 96, Grade: A
Hot water sanitizing dish machine final rinse pressure not at required 15-25 psi; gauge reading 10 psi.
Inspector: Wentworth
May 7
Lanier National Speedway
1 Raceway Drive, Braselton
Score: 94, Grade: A
Hand sinks in both concessions, upper and lower, need gap between sink and wall sealed. Upper ladies restroom has no covered trash container. Upper concession with several areas of damaged baseboard. Order screen at pit concession does not seal opening to insect entry. Door to pit concession not self-closing and also has a gap to allow for insect entry.
Inspector: Wentworth
May 9
Sardis Elementary
2805 Sardis Road, Gainesville
Score: 99, Grade: A
Ice scoop being stored on top of ice machine.
Inspector: Wentworth
McEver Elementary
3265 Montgomery Drive, Gainesville
Score: 100, Grade: A
Inspector: Finch
Bella Pizza
2415 Old Cornelia Highway Suite C, Gainesville
Score: 80, Grade: B
Employee touching cooked pizzas with bare hands. No paper towels at hand sink. No dates on ready to eat foods. No food handlers with hair restraint.
Inspector: Black
Tortas King
425 Atlanta Highway, Suite No. 8, Gainesville
Score: 77, Grade: C
Drinks in kitchen in regular cups. Dishes being rinsed off, not sanitized; dishes being also just rinsed off in prep sink. Numerous foods in cooler with temps 54-59 F that are potentially hazardous-these types of foods must be stored at 41 F or below at all times. Pot of cooked vegetables on counter with temp 89 F. Employee personal food stored in ice that is used for customer. Prep cooler with internal temps of 57-65 F and water pooled in bottom of cooler. Trash around Dumpster and Dumpster door open. Light in kitchen and in walk-in cooler without a proper shield.
Inspector: Black
El Sombrero No. 9
601 S. Enota Drive, Gainesville
Score: 80, Grade: B
Cheese slicer heavily soiled with cheese debris behind slicer guard and on blade. Standup reach-in cooler struggling to keep foods less than or equal to 41 F. All foods placed in walk-in cooler until cooler repaired. Chlorine sanitizer solution in cloth buckets exceed 200 ppm per test strips. Many jugs of milk expired in cooler located in dry storage room dated May 1, May 3 and May 8.
Inspector: Finch
Tortas King DBA Taqueria El Mirador No. 3
425 Atlanta Highway, Suite No. 8, Gainesville
Score: 97, Grade: A
Door open, order window missing screen, window on door with glass broken out.
Inspector: Black
May 10
Wendy's
3646 Thompson Bridge Road, Gainesville
Score: 100, Grade: A
Inspector: Finch
Laurelwood, North East Georgia Medical Center
200 Wisteria Drive, Gainesville
Score: 100, Grade: A
Inspector: McDuffie
Mount Vernon Elementary
4844 Jim Hood Road, Gainesville
Score: 100, Grade: A
Inspector: Wentworth
Wauka Mountain Elementary
5850 Brookton-Lula Road, Gainesville
Score: 96, Grade: A
No paper towels at hand sink in dish room.
Inspector: Wentworth
Tadmore Elementary School
3278 Gillsville Highway, Gainesville
Score: 100, Grade: A
Inspector: McDuffie
Dean Myers Elementary School
2676 Candler Road, Gainesville
Score: 100, Grade: A
Inspector: McDuffie
Flowery Branch Elementary School
5544 Radford Road, Flowery Branch
Score: 98, Grade: A
Cardboard Dumpster drain plug is "hollowed out" allowing for insect, rodent entry in Dumpster.
Inspector: Finch
El Sombrero No. 6
5900 Spout Springs Road, Flowery Branch
Score: 74, Grade: C
Shell eggs placed over ready to eat foods in walk-in cooler and unwashed vegetables placed over ready-to-eat foods in walk-in cooler. Chicken soup on stove being held hot was not at the required hot hold temperature of 135 F (temperature at 110 F). Sanitizer concentration >200 ppm per test strips for chlorine sanitizer in cloth bucket. Working container for oven grill cleaner not labeled with common name. Working containers of glass cleaner at four-compartment-sink not bearing manufacturer's label. Boxes of unwashed vegetables stored beneath dripping evaporator drain in walk-in cooler. Sanitizer buckets did not have sanitizer in cloth buckets. Measured 0 ppm per test strips. Aluminum foil covering stainless steel table near grill. Cooler doors near grill need handles replaced because broken, damaged. Cabinet door in bar needs repairing due to wire mesh coming undone. Draft cooler at bar on wood rolling apparatus needs repairing and repainted with epoxy paint to make smooth, cleanable and nonabsorbent. Bulk food containers for chips, etc. need thorough cleaning once emptied due to residue food debris accumulation in handles.
Inspector: Finch
Enota Elementary
Enota Ave., Gainesville
Score: 97, Grade: A
Boxes of bagged lunches sitting on floor in kitchen.
Inspector: Black
May 11
White Sulphur Elementary
2480 Old Cornelia Highway, Gainesville
Score: 88, Grade: B
Scoops stored with food debris stuck inside them. Ice machine baffel with buildup of slime along bottom edge. Cookies out on tray at serving line without suitable utensil for serving. Accumulation of food debris at bottom of "drawer shaft" where drawers have been removed. Accumulation of food debris on top of inverted pans and shelving under prep table in kitchen. Ceiling panels around diffusers in kitchen with buildup of dust. Wall mounted fan in dish room and serving line with accumulation of dust that can blow onto food, food contact surfaces. Vent over dish machine with accumulation of dust.
Inspector: Wentworth
Riverbend Elementary
1742 Cleveland Highway, Gainesville
Score: 95, Grade: A
In-house made ranch salad dressing improperly labeled. Cooler ceiling seam with drip that is dripping onto boxes of juice cups.
Inspector: Wentworth
May 12
Sugar Hill Elementary School
3259 Athens Highway, Gainesville
Score: 97, Grade: A
Ice scoop laying in ice bin with handle in contact with ice. Cardboard Dumpster missing drain plug. Dumpster no. 2 missing drain plug.
Inspector: Wentworth
Savannah King