Six food oerations shut down in 2019 in the Seattle area by Public Health remain closed in 2020. The six include two grocery stores, a restaurant, a mobile food truck, an unapproved food stand, and an unlicensed vendor operating out of a personal car.
Seattle-King County Public health has already closed one restaurant in 2020. The Rider, at 619 Pine St. in Seattle, was ordered to shut its doors at 7:05 p.m., Jan. 3. The inspector found the Rider lacked proper handwashing, and workers were making bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods.
Also, raw meat storage, cooling, and cold-holding of foods were al improper. The Rider re-opened three days later at 2:30 p.m., Jan. 6.
Public health inspectors in King County order immediate food establishments closures if they observe any of the following:
- A high score on the routine inspection
- Sewage backing up in the kitchen or bathroom
- No hot water/running water
- Electricity goes out
- Other imminent health hazards such as broken refrigeration, damage caused by accidents or natural disasters, or when an establishment is linked to a foodborne illness outbreak
- Other: No permit to be operating (The license assures that they have met all of the structural and equipment requirements for the menu items they are going to serve); or the owner/manager interferes with the inspector’s ability to do her/his duties
Public Health uses inspections and education to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses.
The food establishments that remain closed from 2019 include:
- Clock Restaurant at 8319 Wabash Ave. S in Seattle. It was closed at 2 p.m. on Dec. 24 for failure to renew an operating permit and for operating a food establishment without a valid license.
- Unapproved food stand found operating in Enumclaw, WA, was closed at 12:15 p.m. Dec. 4 for operating with a permit, serving food from an unapproved source, and operating without handwashing facilities.
- Champion Grocery, 1175 NW Gilman Blvd., Suite 2, in Issaquah, WA. It was shut down at noon, Nov. 14, for operating without approved plans and permits.
- An unlicensed vendor was selling food out of a personal car with a valid permit at a construction site at 17211 15th Ave. N.E., in Shoreline, WA. The vendor was shut down at noon, Nov. 13.
- Boise Creek Grocery, 46918 244th Ave S.E., Enumclaw, WA, was closed on Nov. 13 at 10:10 a.m. for operating without a valid permit.
- A mobile food truck doing business as Tacos El Guero was closed down at 11:50 a.m. on May 31 for operating a mobile food unit without a valid permit. The truck put out of business is for the vehicle with license plate C39468D.
Tacos El Guero has another mobile food unit that is legally operating in King County.
Seattle-King County’s Public Health is one of the largest metropolitan health departments in the United States. With 1,400 employees, 40 sites, and a biennial budget of $686 million, Public Health serves a resident population of 2.2 million people. Over 100 languages are spoken in the area, which also welcomes 40 million visitors annually.
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