CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – Two restaurants were recently ordered shut inside a South Florida mall food court after a state inspectors found a rodent issue.
Burger King and Sbarro were ordered to shut their kitchens and clean up the violations after a complaint from a consumer prompted state inspectors to hit go to the Coral Square Mall last week unannounced.
Among the five violations found at the Burger King were rodent droppings between the deep fryers, under a sandwich station and next to an ice machine.
The manager on duty claims she was brought in from another store and had no comment to give when she was approached by Local 10 News reporter Jeff Weinsier.
"I just came in today from another store," the manager said. "I don't know nothing about that."
Across the food court the manager of Sbarro flat out denied his restaurant was also ordered shut.
"That is not us," he said.
But records show something different.
Seventeen violations were found at the location, on the same day that the Burger King violations were found.
The inspectors noted rodent droppings under the cook line and in a storage room.
A stop sale was ordered on several items on the buffet.
The inspection said melon, coleslaw, egg, crab and tuna salads were all being held at potentially hazardous temperatures.
The inspector called it "temperature abuse."
So what does the mall have to say?
In a statement send to Local 10 News mall officials said "Coral square mall requires that all restaurant tenants maintain records supporting proof that regular pest control services have been performed at their place of business. In addition, all restaurants and retailers at every Simon Mall property are contractually obligated to adhere to guidelines that are issued by official agencies, including those issued by the health department."
Meanwhile in Northeast Miami-Dade a Mario The Baker location at 18679 W. Dixie Hwy. was ordered shut.
Among the nine violations were rodent droppings in the main kitchen area.
"No, I gotta have you guys go, man," a manager said when confronted about the violations.
All the places mentioned were allowed to re-open following an ordered cleanup and re-inspection.