Lucky City Restaurant in Margate. {Google Maps}
By Ryan Yousefi
A Margate restaurant has been ordered to stop serving customers after a health inspection discovered multiple violations, including live and dead cockroaches.
On August 3, the Lucky City restaurant, located at 5574 West Sample Road, was ordered to temporarily shut its doors after inspectors from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation revealed 11 violations stemming from the restaurant’s hygiene and food safety practices.
Inspectors outline in the report their discovery of live roaches in the kitchen area, including under cook line equipment and within gaps between the walls and floors.
In addition to the live roaches, inspectors also found dead roaches on the premises, with one dead roach discovered outside the kitchen walk-in cooler.
Inspectors note in the report that restaurant staff immediately removed, cleaned, and sanitized the area, but dead roaches were cited as a repeat violation, which, in part, led to the stop-selling order.
The inspection also found the restaurant’s dishwashing practices inadequate, including the fact that the dish machine’s chlorine sanitizer was not at the proper minimum strength, leading to concerns about its effectiveness in ensuring dishes are cleaned.
The dish machine was tested at 0 parts per million (ppm) of chlorine sanitizer, prompting the operator to call for immediate service. The report recommended discontinuing the use of the dish machine for sanitizing until it was repaired and operating correctly.
Inspectors also discovered nonfood-contact surfaces soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime, or dust, all indications of poor cleanliness that could lead to cross-contamination risks.
Temperature control of food items was another significant issue inspectors highlighted in the report, explicitly noting that various cooked food items were being held at temperatures higher than the recommended 41 degrees.
As inspectors closed out the report, notes were made that Lucky City failed to provide adequate handwashing facilities in the restaurant and was found to be lacking proper supplies.
Lucky City must undergo a re-inspection to ensure that all necessary improvements have been made before re-opening.
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