Jimmy Geurts, ADVANCED REPORTING
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| Acropolis Bar & Grill on Bruce B. Downs Blvd |
The Division of Hotels and Restaurants within the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) conducts the inspections.
Alexis Lambert, the DBPR’s press secretary, said all restaurant inspections are unannounced and at least two visits are required every fiscal year.
“The inspector goes in, immediately identifies him or herself to the manager, and the manager walks around with the inspector while they’re doing the inspection,” Lambert said.
According to the DBPR’s website, possible violations can include improperly thawed food, faulty electrical wiring, incorrectly labeled containers or poor employee hygiene.
When deciding whether to temporarily close a restaurant, however, Lambert said inspectors care more about chances of serious cross-contamination or food-borne illness than the actual number of violations.
For instance, Pho Quyen Cuisine on 2740 E. Fowler Ave. was ordered to temporarily close on Oct. 28 because of roach activity.
“It’s a risk-based inspection, so the inspector is assessing the risk during the inspection — not specifically looking at counting violations or anything like that,” Lambert said.
Acropolis Greek Taverna’s 14947 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. location received 30 violation counts during a July 6 inspection. Half of the violations were classified as critical, yet no further action was taken after the inspection.
Tarek Armoush, a general manager for Acropolis Greek Taverna, said that every health inspection takes several hours and the report procedure is so extensive that he couldn’t summarize it.
“I can’t — it’s like pages,” Armoush said.
Nonetheless, Armoush said he believed every category was necessary for safety — even a concern like “thermometers provided and conspicuously placed” that might baffle outsiders.
“You’ve got to make sure the thermometers are in their correct placing,” Armoush said.
Tank’s Tap Room, located on 13150 N. Dale Mabry Highway, scored 47 violations on a Jan. 26 inspection and was issued a warning.
Among the inspector’s complaints was that food was found out of temperature — with chicken, and chili said to be over 41 degrees. According to the National Restaurant Association, the proper temperature is usually 41 degrees or colder, and higher temperatures can potentially cause food spoilage.
Antonio Escalante, Tank’s Tap Room’s kitchen manager, said he had just unloaded the food from a vendor’s truck and the inspector arrived before he could stow it away in a refrigerator.
In an ABC Action News “Dirty Dining” report, Chris Jacksec, the restaurant’s owner, also suggested the truck’s interior wasn’t cold enough and said he planned to file a grievance against the inspector for misleading information.
Escalante said Jacksec never told him if the grievance went through, but in February, the restaurant was simultaneously a subject of a “Dirty Dining” installment and a backdrop for a positive television special on Fine Living Network.
“The same particular week we had that review, it was one of our best months,” Escalante said.
Tank’s Tap Room also received four violations under the “food management certification not valid” category. Escalante said each count came from a cook who didn’t have his or her ServSafe certification on hand rather than multiple staff positions.
“Of course, they didn’t have to write four violations, but they decided to write it,” Escalante said.
Overall, Lambert said most restaurant owners are quick to comply with inspection reports and correct violations.
“They’re typically very cooperative,” Lambert said. “An inspection process is actually a learning process for the operator."
A Google Map of Tampa's Zero Violation Restaurants and Their Urban Spoon Ratings
View Tampa's Cleanest in a larger map
Tank's Tap Room On Dirty Dining- an ABC Action News reportA Google Map of Tampa's Zero Violation Restaurants and Their Urban Spoon Ratings
View Tampa's Cleanest in a larger map
**For a chart comparison of restaurant ratings and violations, click here.**
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