With temperatures still in the 90's, there's nothing like enjoying a cold ice cream cone or Blizzard but a local Dairy Queen had a few uninvited guests enjoying those sweets last week.
Our I-Team uncovered inspectors temporarily shutting down Dairy Queen on 10830 North 56 Street after finding dozens of roaches inside the soft serve ice cream machine, under the Blizzard machine and inside the sugar candy box at the cake prep station.
On that Monday, August 15, the state also made Dairy Queen in Temple Terrace throw out 50-pieces of candy after seeing the roaches crawling all over those candies.
Other violations found during their inspection include: live, small flying insects in the kitchen, food preparation area, or food storage area, accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the ice machine, and holes in the wall.
The state also documented a build-up of soil/debris on the floor under shelving, on walls, and walk in coolers and freezers along with scoops and other services all stored in a bin with dirty water on the bottom of it.
Inspectors added that floor drains/drain covers were heavily soiled, floor tiles cracked, broken or in disrepair, and the shelf under the preparation table was soiled with food debris.
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Dairy Queen's statement:
Food safety and quality, as well as the safety and well-being of our customers and staff, are our top priorities. We follow the guidelines set by the FDA for food safety, and strive to ensure our franchise locations meet or exceed current industry practices.
Our restaurants are required to adhere to our strict food preparation and sanitation and health procedures that comply with or exceed county and state health regulations.
We are currently working closely with this operator and the health department to correct these deficiencies. Ultimately, our goal is to elevate the level of performance standards throughout this location so they meet and exceed our, as well as our valued consumers', expectations.
Dean A. Peters
Associate Vice President of Communications
American Dairy Queen Corporation
7505 Metro Blvd.
Minneapolis, MN 55439-0286
