Roaches, rodents, and raw seafood stored where they should not be led state sanitation inspectors to shut down six Central Florida restaurants last week, with officials saying the problems posed an immediate risk to public health. The emergency orders, issued between June 15 and June 21, stretched from Flagler Beach and St. Petersburg to several spots in the Orlando metro and Brevard County. Most of the businesses were later cleared to reopen after follow-up inspections showed the violations were fixed.
According to state records summarized by ClickOrlando, the closures hit Funky Pelican in Flagler Beach, The Apollo Diner in Melbourne, Ayiti Breeze Bar & Grill, Dya Ice Food Service, and Meng’s Kitchen in Orlando, and a Tijuana Flats location in St. Petersburg. Inspectors documented issues that included rodent droppings, live and dead roaches, flies, and raw seafood stored improperly.
Florida’s Division of Hotels & Restaurants can issue emergency orders when inspectors find conditions that threaten customers’ safety, and the agency requires a callback inspection before a business can resume service, as explained by Florida’s Division of Hotels & Restaurants. When an emergency order is in place, an establishment’s license is suspended until violations are corrected and a reinspection confirms that it is back in compliance…