The following are among the food service establishments inspected from March 12-19 by the Hall County Environmental Health Department. New rules and regulations for food service began on Dec. 1, 2007. Food service establishments will now be 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 will be conducted based on risk categorization. The risk type shall be 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-through 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 new rules are available at the Hall County Environmental health Office. The rules and regulations are also available online at http://health.state.ga.us/programs/envservices/index.asp.
To register a complaint against a food service establishment, contact the Hall County Environmental Health Department at 770-531-3973.
March 12
Pizza Hut No. 4798
3815 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood.
Score: 75, Grade: C
Handsink used for dumping garbage, no hand towels. Can opener stored with food debris; dishes, pans, etc. stored with food debris and wet. Sauce not properly heated on buffet line, 101F. Repeat violation: Storage of food on crates. Repeat violation: Gaskets on make-line coolers heavily damaged. Repeat violation: Area above pizza make line has grease and food debris. Repeat violation: Floors throughout kitchen area have food debris, trash, etc. especially under shelving and counters.
Inspector: Kathleen McDuffie
Tom's Pizza Shack
2415 Old Cornelia Highway, Gainesville
Score: 98, Grade: A
Pizza pans with dried residue on outside. Couple of ceiling tiles damaged in restroom and kitchen and still wrong type of ceiling tiles.
Inspector: Donna Black
Lenny's Family Pizza, LLC
4860 Golden Park Village, Buford
Score: 95, Grade: A
Food handler not wearing hair restraint. Pizza boxes on floor. Insides of coolers need better cleaning.
Inspector: Black
Pizza K
6168 Gaines Ferry Road Suite 5, Flowery Branch
Score: 86, Grade: B
Pizza pans, slicer and pizza cutter with food residue. Ready-to-eat foods not labeled. Chicken wings and other foods must be stored covered in coolers. Replace missing test strips that are used for quat sanitizer. Repeat violation: All shelving, floor mixer and coolers need to be cleaned on a regular basis to prevent build up. Floors with grease/debris.
Inspector: Black
March 13
Third Coast Grille, Inc.
5390 Friendship Road, Buford
Score: 96, Grade: A
Repeat violation: Pans stored wet. Repeat violation: Gaskets have an accumulation of food debris and mold/mildew.
Inspector: McDuffie
Waffle House No. 1554
4770 Friendship Road, Buford
Score: 90, Grade: A
Repeat violation: Pans stored dirty in drawer. Milk shake mixer not cleaned. Repeat violation: Storage drawers under cook area have grease and food debris. Accumulation of dust on cooler exteriors, especially around fans. Food and debris on floors, especially in walk-in cooler/freezer and under equipment. Repeat violation: Light bulbs in cooler/freezer are not bright enough.
Inspector: McDuffie
Fairways Sports Bar and Grill
7000 Holiday Road, Lake Lanier Islands
Score: 100, Grade: A
Inspector: McDuffie
Checkers Drive-in Restaurant
3640 Wallis Road, Flowery Branch
Score: 97, Grade: A
Repeat violation: Gaskets on make line are damaged; gasket on walk-in freezer damaged. Repeat violation: Gaskets on make line have food debris. Customer bathroom sink not attached to wall and toilet not sealed to floor. Bathroom needs detailed cleaning. Dumpster open. Grease container dripping on ground. Cardboard under Dumpster soaked in grease. Cove and floor tiles broken throughout kitchen, grout missing.
Inspector: McDuffie
Windows Restaurant
7000 Holiday Road, Buford
Score: 94, Grade: A
Can opener blade, slicer and chopper stored with food debris on them. Tongs stored over three-compartment sink with dried food debris on them. Concrete patch on floor behind grill damaged. Floors need a good cleaning in dry storage, especially at floor/wall juncture. Ceiling panels damaged over dishwasher; paint peeling next to breaker box mounted on painted board on clean side of dishwasher.
Inspector: Laurie Wentworth
March 16
Great American Chocolate Chip Cookie Co.
150 Pearl Nix Parkway, Gainesville
Score: 99, Grade: A
Walk-in cooler door has duct tape to help hold it together.
Inspector: Lydia Hoffhines
Dairy Queen/Shallowford
300 Shallowford Road, Gainesville
Score: 72, Grade: C
Employee handling raw, frozen burger then donning gloves. Employee handling raw, frozen burger with gloves then handling ready-to-eat foods. Employee drinks in kitchen and food prep areas have improper lids or kept uncovered. Mold and grime build up along baffle and interior of ice machine; food residue and metal shavings on can opener blade; food grime build up in veggie press. Bulk coleslaw and opened containers of dressings and BBQ pork have no date labels; hot dogs marked with wrong date on lid of container. Mushroom gravy and chicken breasts thawing in bags at room temperature. Many cloths used to wipe down countertops and equipment are left out, laying in sinks or submerged in soapy water. Shelves, under ceiling, and on/around condenser of dessert topping coolers have an accumulation of food debris; old food residue on ceiling of lower microwave; inside door, shelves, and gaskets of cooler cabinet beside fryers has an accumulation of food debris and grease.
Inspector: Hoffhines
March 17
AJ's Food Fun & Friends
322 Spring St., Gainesville
Score: 98, Grade: A
Freezer has dried food debris. Hood vent exhaust system dripping grease.
Inspector: Shelby Finch
The Honey Baked Ham Co. and Cafe
1237 Thompson Bridge Road, Gainesville
Score: 90, Grade: A
Handsinks blocked from use. Knives stored with food debris and veggie sink had mold/mildew. Microwave and knife holder dirty; food debris on shelving. Corners around glazing station have sheet rock flaking away from wall. Veggie sink pulling away from wall.
Inspector: Finch
Waffle House No. 1688
2880 Browns Bridge Road SW, Gainesville
Score: 85, Grade: B
Handsink being used to wash skillets. Repeat violation: Pans stored in drawers, cups stacked on top of each other and wet, Coke machine nozzles had mold/mildew, and dishes stored with dried food debris. Personal belongings stored with food. Cleaning cloths on counters and equipment. Repeat violation: Gaskets on reach-in cooler have dried food debris.
Inspector: Finch
Brenau Dining Services Tea Room
Centennial Circle, Gainesville
Score: 94, Grade: A
Repeat violation: Drink dispenser nozzles have an accumulation of mold/mildew.
Inspector: Finch
Waffle House No. 1554
4770 Friendship Road, Buford
Score: 79, Grade: C
Cook changing gloves without handwashing. Foods uncovered in walk-in cooler and freezer. Repeat violation: Coke dispenser nozzles have traces of mold/mildew. Pans stored dirty in drawers. Butter thawing in storage cabinet at room temperature. Thermometers missing in most coolers. Single serve items on floor of dry storage. No test strips for warewasher or sanitizer buckets. Drawers, counters, etc. in food prep area have food debris. Also, gaskets need cleaning of mold/mildew; fans dusty on coolers. Dumpster area: Trash on ground, Dumpster open, and one lid broken. Grease container dripping on ground. Floors have food debris, trash, etc. Replace bulb in walk-in freezer.
Inspector: McDuffie
Megan Gil