A Little Caesars pizza restaurant in Bushnell was temporarily shut down after a health inspector found dozens of live roaches scurrying around the kitchen.
The restaurant, located at 2233 W. County Road 48, was ordered to close its doors on Wednesday, July 8, following a complaint-driven inspection by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
The closure was primarily triggered by the discovery of 28 live roaches in the food preparation and dishwashing areas. The inspector found 24 live roaches hiding behind a three-compartment sink, three on the wall near the sink, and one on the floor behind a prep table. In addition, three dead roaches were discovered on the floor next to a white chest freezer in the back of the establishment.
Beyond the pest infestation, the inspector cited the restaurant for several other sanitation issues. A can opener was found soiled with a mold-like substance and food debris. Furthermore, employees were washing their hands at a sink where the hot water had been completely turned off. A manager was able to turn the hot water back on during the inspection to reach a compliant 102 degrees.
The restaurant also received a high-priority violation because its quaternary ammonium sanitizer was measured at zero parts per million, meaning dishes and equipment were not being properly sanitized. An employee corrected the issue on-site by refilling the sanitizer to the proper 200 parts per million.
Additional basic and intermediate violations included a food prep worker operating without a beard guard, a crust-basting brush stored in 70-degree standing water, soiled cooler gaskets, and management failing to provide the original copies of their employee training certificates.
The restaurant was allowed to reopen after meeting inspection standards during a follow-up visit on Friday, July 10. The inspector granted the establishment a time extension to properly clean the can opener, wipe down the cooler gaskets, and track down the original training certificates.