The Erie County Department of Health rarely orders a restaurant, convenience store, tavern or supermarket to close due to violations of the Pennsylvania Food Code.
It happens in most cases when a facility has a violation so serious that there is an immediate risk to public health and can’t be corrected at that time. Common examples include no hot water available or the facility doesn’t have a license to operate.
In other cases, the health department gives the facility time — anywhere from 24 hours to 30 days, depending on the severity of the violation — to fix its problems…