Restaurant inspections: Decomposing mice, bug in alcohol bottle, leaky sink in Wichita KS

Jan. 23—Eight Wichita-area restaurants and other businesses were deemed out of compliance during Kansas Department of Agriculture food safety and lodging inspections conducted Jan. 8-14.

Information about the Sedgwick County businesses and their violations, compiled Jan. 20, appears below with a summary of the problems inspectors noted on their reports. More details are posted in The Eagle's searchable database of non-compliant restaurant and hotel inspections at www.kansas.com/databases.

Business owners who want to clarify or comment on out-of-compliance inspection results can contact Eagle reporter Amy Renee Leiker at 316-268-6644 or aleiker@wichitaeagle.com. Comments will be added to online stories. Businesses that failed are listed alphabetically at the end of this article.

More than 50 businesses surveyed Jan. 8-14 passed their inspections with few or no violations. You can see those at www.foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.

Failing an inspection doesn't necessarily mean a business has to close; that's rare. Most violations are minor and are corrected immediately during an inspection.

Businesses fall out of compliance with state rules when they have too many violations or certain types of problems that can increase the risk of a customer contracting a food-borne illness or when a problem can't be fixed right away, such as pest infestations and plumbing issues.

When a business fails, it's usually inspected again within 10 days.

To complain about conditions anywhere that serves or sells food to the public, email kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767.

Recent out-of-compliance inspections

Comfort Inn East Wichita, 9525 E. Corporate Hills Dr. in Wichita — Two violations during a Jan. 11 follow-up inspection. Cited over chlorine concentration levels in swimming pool and pH levels of the swimming pool. Next inspection: Jan. 21.

Denny's, 4024 E. Harry in Wichita — Two violations during a Jan. 9 inspection prompted by a modified complaint. Cited over mice, mouse droppings, food debris and trash build up throughout the restaurant. Mice, both living and dead, were found in various places including three "decomposing" mice in a trap under a cooler on the cook line and a live mouse that "ran into the booths" of the restaurant where it hid in a hollow space behind the back cushions. In terms of trash, there were old mouse droppings throughout, a black banana behind a cooler, trash behind the egg station cooler and underneath booth seats and in side crevices. The restaurant was still out of compliance during a Jan. 19 follow-up inspection.

Fairfield Inn & Suites Wichita East, 417 S. Webb in Wichita — Four violations during a Jan. 10 inspection prompted by a modified complaint. Cited over the concentration of chlorine disinfectant in the hot tub, hotel didn't record pool and hot tub disinfectant levels and pH levels daily, hot tub temperature reading isn't recorded on daily logs. Next inspection: Jan. 20.

GNC, 2441 N. Maize Road, Ste. 2505 in Wichita — One violation during a Jan. 10 routine inspection. Cited because the water at a bathroom hand-washing sink didn't get hot enough. The heating unit on the sink was corroded on the hose, requiring a repair. Next inspection: Jan. 20.

Mexico Viejo Mexican Restaurant, 6960 W. 21st St. N. in Wichita — Four violations during an inspection listed as a follow-up to an administrative order. Cited for thawing vacuum-packaged tilapia without slicing packaging to let oxygen inside, raw eggs were stored above a keg of beer in cooler, dirty can opener, cook used dedicated hand-washing sink to rinse off utensils. Next inspection: March 11.

Red Lobster, 555 S. West St. in Wichita — Five violations during a Jan. 9 routine inspection. Cited over diced tomatoes that weren't kept cold enough, no test kit for measuring sanitizer concentration, "small winged insect inside a bottle of Wild Turkey American Honey Liqueur," three small insects near office door, bottle of sanitizer wasn't labeled with contents. The restaurant was found to be in compliance during its follow-up inspection.

Sweet Sisters Fudge, 6112 W. Central in Wichita — One violation during a Jan. 10 routine inspection. Cited for not having a probe-style food thermometer. Next inspection: Jan. 20.

Tacos La Pesada, 102 E. 29th St. North in Wichita — Five violations during a Jan. 13 routine inspection. Cited for not keeping grilled jalapenos and onions hot enough, not refrigerating diced tomatoes and lettuce, no probe-style food thermometer, no hot water at hand-washing sink, "significant leak at pipes draining below sink" and a "build up of waste water" on floor after sink was used. Next inspection: Jan. 23.

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