County shuts down Seven
Health department cites Downtown bar for breaking COVID-19 rules
Seven — a bar and lounge in the Cultural District, Downtown — was shut down by the Allegheny County Health Department over the weekend for breaking COVID19-related rules.
The closure marks the second time a food business in the county has been shuttered by the health department for mitigation problems during the pandemic. The first was the Young Men’s Republican Club of Allegheny County on the North Side, which was closed in mid-July for operating indoors during a period when food and drink service was limited to outdoors only.
Seven, located at 130 7th St., was cited for employees not wearing masks; exceeding capacity limits; seating customers at the bar; serving alcohol without a meal; and serving customers indoors after 11 p.m., according to the inspection report.
The report said an inspector was blocked from entering the premises. “Forced entry conducted by the Pittsburgh Police,” the report noted.
The operator of Seven, which must remain closed for at least a week, could not be reached for comment.
Another area business — a small computer and phone repair operation in Carrick called Nerdz — was ordered to shut down its snack/convenience food operation after running afoul of COVID19 mitigation measures.
The business was cited for lack of physical distancing; conducting after-hours gatherings; operating without a permit; and presence of a carbon monoxide hazard.
Owner William Bagley said he was ordered to stop selling food items but can continue to operate his repair business.
The health department also shut down Billy’s Carolina Food Co., a roadside BBQ in Castle Shannon, for operating without a health permit and food-safety-related problems.
The violations included lack of a proper facility to operate a food business, lack of commercial refrigeration and lack of a handwashing sink, among other problems.
“I’ve fed over 1,000 people for free since March,” owner Bill Maitland said. “So they shut down someone who was helping the community.
“There are a lot of people struggling because of what’s going on,” he added. “We help each other when times are tough.”
Mr. Maitland said he plans to try to find the money to get the equipment needed to reopen “so I can continue to do things for others.”
Another area eatery — TJ Buffet Sushi & Grill at Frazer Township’s Pittsburgh Mills shopping center — drew a consumer alert from the health department for roughly a dozen health code violations, including foods held at unsafe temperatures; improper cooling procedures; lack of a probe thermometer; house flies around the buffet; and sanitization problems.
The owner of the facility couldn’t be reached.
Inspection reports for permitted food facilities in the county are available at webapps.achd.net/Restaurant/.