State shuts WPB Burger King, citing wastewater
Company exec says eatery near Good Sam closed for 21 minutes.
WEST PALM BEACH — A Burger King restaurant on North Dixie Highway was temporarily closed Dec. 26 after state inspectors cited it for 10 violations, including a sewage backup in the kitchen.
The Burger King, which is No. 53, is at the southeast corner of North Dixie and Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard, across the street from Good Samaritan Medical Center.
A Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation report said there was wastewater throughout the kitchen caused by a sewage and wastewater backup at a prep sink floor drain and mop sink.
“Employees are walking through waste water on floor,” the report notes.
A company vice president who did not want his name used said Tuesday that the restaurant was closed for only 21 minutes while the plumbing was fixed, and disputed the report. He said the standing water was not throughout the kitchen, but was only near the sink. A plumber was called to unplug the sink drains.
In addition to the backup, the restaurant was cited for one other high-priority violation because water was dripping on butter patties stored in a walk-in compressor. The inspector issued a stop-sale order for the items “not being in a wholesome, sound condition.”
The inspector also issued a basic violation for the butter patties.
Intermediate violations included an accumulation of a black/green mold-like substance in the ice machine’s interior and a soiled soda gun.
Basic violations cited in the report included:
■ Floor tiles cracked, broken or in disrepair.
■ A hole in the ceiling above the hot water heater.
■ An opened employee beverage container in a cold holding unit with food to be served to customers. Beverage was removed.
■ Walk-in cooler/freezer shelves with rust that has pitted the surface.
■ Water leaking from a pipe and/or faucet handle at a three-compartment sink.
The restaurant was allowed to reopen the same day, and was given an unspecified amount of time to repair the floor tiles and hole in the ceiling, a follow-up report said. Those same issues were cited in a Sept. 1 inspection report. At that time the restaurant was allowed to remain open.
The department cites violations of Florida’s sanitation and safety laws, which are based on the standards of U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code.
High-priority violations are those that could contribute directly to a food-borne illness or injury and include items such as cooking, reheating, cooling and hand-washing.
Intermediate violations are those which, if not addressed, could lead to risk factors that contribute to food-borne illness or injury. These violations include personnel training, documentation or record-keeping and labeling.
Basic violations are those which are considered best practices to implement. While most establishments correct all violations in a timely manner (often during the inspection), the division’s procedures are designed to compel compliance with all violations through follow-up visits, administration action or closure when necessary.