nothin Hair Brush Helps Sink Store’s Health… | New Haven Independent

Hair Brush Helps Sink Store’s Health Inspection

Allan Appel Photo

The scene of the crime.

William Roach was busy as he walked behind the counter of At Your Convenience, the store he co-owns at the corner of Atwater and Grand. He placed his hairbrush near the plastic display of mini-Snickers and Big Reds all wrapped and in cubby holes, two shelves below the Fun Dip.

Oops. Then the health inspector showed up.

He had to do something. That’s when she walked in,” said Jihad Wali, the store’s manager.

The she” Wali referred to is city senior health inspector Ros Hamilton.

The demerit she gave Roach for that inadvertent gesture cost him only one point.

But there were other points as well, including greasy walls and shelves and containers, leading At Your Convenience to score a 73 out of a possible 100 on its most recent public health inspection. Food establishments need at least an 80 to pass.

According to the state’s public health guidelines, which Hamilton and the city’s other inspectors enforce, all food establishments have to keep absolute strict separation between personal living and sleeping quarters of the proprietors — including the stuff that goes along with them — and food or commercial areas.

Common violations occur when staffers mistakenly leave their medicines or cough syrup or personal items from their own lunch in a food prep area.

In Roach’s case, the brush was placed near completely wrapped candies, but that created a condition that was still the violation of item #56 under Housekeeping” on the state health report.

Of the 44 eateries inspected between June 1 and June 13, all passed except At Your Convenience and the Dunkin Donuts on Chapel near College.

Wali said when Hamilton came in for the inspection and saw the brush, she removed it herself.

We’re gong to take care of everything” on the violation list, he added.

City sanitarians inspect all of New Haven’s restaurants, groceries, bars, and other food-serving establishments between one and four times a year. Establishments that score less than 80 out of 100 usually have two weeks to make the recommended corrections. The health department can close a restaurant regardless of its score, if the sanitarians suspect an immediate danger to public health.

Inspectors stress that a low score doesn’t mean a restaurant is always failing. Nor does a high or even perfect score mean an eatery is always squeaky clean. Rather it means that at the moment of the inspectors’ unannounced visit, they found the conditions they reported. That’s why city Environmental Health Director Paul Kowalski calls each inspection a sanitary snapshot.”

The Winners

Of the 43 restaurants inspected between June 1 and June 13, 41 passed and two failed. They were ordered to make required changes within two weeks. The following received passing grades:

06/03/2013: Panera Bread, 1060 Chapel St., Score: 86; USA 1 Pizza, 216 Grand Ave., Score: 88; Centro De Bienstar#1, 119 Grand Ave., Score: 90; Grand Smoker Market, 126 East Pearl St., Score: 88; Woodland Coffee & Tea, 1044 Chapel St., Score: 82; Lucibello’s Pastry Shop, 935 Grand Ave, Score: 86; Tortilleria Jalisco, 656 Grand Ave., Score: 81; Metropolitan Business Academy, 115 Water St., Score: 96; Union League Cafe, 1032 Chapel St., Score: 80; Sushi on Chapel, 1022 Chapel St., Score: 81

06/04/2013: Rubamba, 25 High St., Score: 89; Soul De Cuba, 283 Crown St., Score: 88; Michael’s Downtown, 130 Court St., Score: 80

06/05/2013: Prime 16, 172 Temple St., Score: 90; Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant, 176 Temple St., Score: 82; New Horizons School, 103 Hallock Ave., Score: 93; Alchemy, 239 Crown St., Score: 90; Sahara Middle Eastern Cuisine, 170 Temple St., Score: 86

06/06/2013: Oak Haven Table & Bar, 932 State St., Score: 95; Carribean Connection, 360 Whalley Ave., Score: 84; Chipotle Mexican Grill, 900 Chapel St., Score: 86; Los Primos Deli Mart, 660 Howard Ave., Score: 80; Briq, 266 College St., Score: 85; Nelly’s, 691 Howard Ave., Score: 84; People Market, 275 Edgewood Ave., Score: 85; Dee Asian Kitchen, 163 Temple St., Score: 80

06/07/2013: New Haven Exxon, 775 Whalley Ave., Score: 90

06/09/2013: Shore Shack, 2 Lighthouse Pt. Rd., Score: 90

06/10/2013: Barnard School, 170 Derby Ave., Score: 81; Broadway Pizza, 185 Derby Ave., Score: 85; LifeHaven, 447 Ferry St., Score: 94

06/11/2013: Gateway Sandwich, 37 Church St., Score: 81; Skappo Merkato, 51 Crown St., Score: 90; Skappo Italian Wine Bar, 59 Crown St., Score: 87

06/12/2013: Subway, 865 Whalley Ave., Score: 93; Lena’s Cafe and Confections, 873 Whalley Ave., Score: 86; Tropical Delights, 141 Fitch St., Score: 96; Delaney’s Restaurant, 882 Whalley Ave., Score: 80; Westville Pizza, 883 Whalley Ave., Score: 94; The Quinnipiack Club, 221 Church St., Score: 88; Nina’s House of Tapas, 40 Orange St., Score: 91


The Two Needing Improvement
During the June 1 to June 13 period, the following two failed their inspections:

At Your Convenience
121 Grand Ave
Score: 73
Due: 2 Weeks

• Containers of food stored on the floor
• Hair brushes stored with candy
• Container of granular in container labelled wine grapes”
• Containers of food and deli case missing covers
• Grease separator not clean
• Floor in prep area not clean, mats sticky
• Missing paper towel and dispenser at hand sink in prep area
• Grease dripping down under wall vent, wall greasy
• Containers of granular on counter missing label
• Using plastic cup without handle as scoop and submerged in food
• Wiping cloths throughout not clean and not stored in bleach water bucket
• Greasy cardboard boxes used as trash cans — replace
• Cardboard lining shelf under counter, table counter legs chipped and flaking paint
• Shelves greasy
• Containers of crumbs greasy
• Dirty paper storing cooking utensils on counter
• Lights with shields covered with grease
• Toilet in disrepair
• Shelves for retail moldy and not clean
• Glass beverage tracks on doors moldy and not clean
• Gallon containers of whole milk expired
• Front door propped open (corrected)
• Ice cream in ice cream chest not hard
• Brown mini straws not individually wrapped
• Missing thermometers (easy to see) in refrigerator units

Dunkin Donuts
930 Chapel Street
Score: 70
Due: 2 Weeks

• Store single serve egg trays in a sanitary manner
• Cover exposed food products
• Clean floor in walk in, before putting on gloves, employees must wash hands
• Don’t store food or drink on the floor
• Clean ceiling tiles, clean air vents, touch up defective walls
• Need thermometers in warmest locations in coolers holding prepared hot foods
• Don’t store utensils in standing water
• Fix defective gaskets on cooler doors
• Eliminate flies
• Wipe inside coolers and freezers, clean soda and juice shelves in cooler
• Don’t store items inside hand sink
• Hang up mops and brooms when not in use
• Hot water in bathroom to between 110 and 115 degrees F
• Fix defective window sill
• Fix defective floor/wall junction, tiles
• Wipe exterior of equipment, and shelf under equipment, touch up defective shelf
• Don’t store toxic items with food products — corrected on site.

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