A popular fast-food restaurant located inside an Ocala Wal-Mart was shut down two days before Christmas after a health inspector found heavy roach activity in the eatery.
The inspector first visited the Burger King at 2600 S.W. 19th Avenue Rd. on Dec. 14 and found 11 violations – five of which were listed as high priority and three of which involved roaches and droppings from the insects in a crack under the front counter. Live and dead roaches also were spotted near cooking equipment and an ice machine, a report on file with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation states.
The inspector returned on Dec. 22 and cited three violations related to the continued presence of roaches in the restaurant. The inspector then came back twice on Dec. 23 and on the first trip cited a high-priority violation after finding about 20 dead roaches under cooking equipment and a basic violation after finding a dead roach on the floor near an ice machine and another one under the front counter.
On the second visit on Dec. 23, the inspector cited another high-priority violation when six live roaches were found in wheels of a reach-in unit with soft-serve ice cream and a basic violation for four dead roaches on the floor under cooking equipment. The inspector then ordered the eatery to shut its doors at 11:12 a.m. just prior to the daily lunch rush, the report states.
The inspector returned later in the day on Dec. 23 and after finding no violations, the eatery was allowed to reopen at 4:05 p.m., according to the report.