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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Ocala pizza eatery shut down after health inspector finds piles of rodent droppings

An Ocala pizzeria was shut down recently after a health inspector reported finding 10 violations – the most egregious of which involved rodent activity and issues with the storage of food items.

The inspector visited J Rocks Pizzeria, located at 2606 S.W. 19th Avenue Rd., Unit 103 in Ocala, on March 30 and ordered the eatery to temporarily close after finding four high-priority, one intermediate and five basic violations.

J Rocks Pizzeria in Ocala
J Rocks Pizzeria, located at 2606 S.W. 19th Avenue Rd., Unit 103 in Ocala, was shut down last month by a health inspector who reported finding 10 violations – four of which were deemed high-priority.

The inspector took action after finding a large quantity of multiple rodent droppings throughout the restaurant, including 77 on the floor under a pizza prep table and 39 under a chemical shelf located in front of a dish machine, a report on file with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation says.

The inspector also cited high-priority violations for two cracked eggs and raw shell eggs stored above beer bottles and cans in a walk-in cooler. The fourth high-priority violation involved fresh garlic and oil at a pizza station next to an oven that wasn’t time stamped.

The restaurant was cited for an intermediate violation for a spray bottle with a blue liquid in front of a dish machine that wasn’t labeled. There also were five basic violations that included:

  • A container with no handle inside a sugar container;
  • An employee’s drink above seasoning containers;
  • Reach-in cooler gaskets soiled with a mold-like substance;
  • Plastic cup boxes stored on the floor; and
  • Containers of sugar, salt and flour at the prep area that weren’t labeled.

The inspector returned the following morning and reported finding no violations. The eatery was then allowed to reopen at 9:36 a.m., according to the report.