MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Local 10 Investigator Jeff Weinsier and Photographer Frank Debesa were physically attacked while trying to get answers at a South Florida restaurant with a long and troubling history of health code violations.
China Buffet, located at 18690 NW 67th Ave. in the Country Club Plaza near the Hialeah and Miami Lakes border, was shut down last week by state inspectors for the seventh time since 2014.
But this visit turned violent when an employee lashed out as Weinsier attempted to ask about the latest inspection.
“Ma’am, can we talk to someone about the inspection?” Weinsier is heard asking on camera.
Seconds later, a man storms out of the kitchen, shoves Debesa’s camera, grabs at Weinsier’s microphone and physically confronts them before being pulled back inside by another person.
The state inspection last week uncovered 21 violations, including:
- Live roaches crawling on a wall above a sink and at the hibachi station
- Food held at unsafe temperatures
- No sanitizer in the dishwasher
The restaurant was shut down immediately and required two re-inspections before it was cleared to reopen.
The man who confronted the crew is the same individual who aggressively approached Weinsier during a 2017 Dirty Dining investigation at the same location.
Over the past 10 years, China Buffet has racked up a jaw-dropping 546 violations while the average restaurant sees about 22 inspections during that time, this buffet has been inspected 46 times.
Among the repeated issues:
- Rodents, roaches, and flying insects
- Food safety and sanitation failures
- Thousands of dollars in fines
Yet despite all this, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation has allowed the business to continue operating. The agency has said in the past that its priority is working with businesses to bring them into compliance, not revoking licenses, even in cases involving repeat offenders.
Weinsier and Debesa didn’t file charges.
“We were attacked for simply trying to hold them accountable,” Weinsier said. “Instead of answers, we were met with aggression from a restaurant that should be answering to the public.”
China Buffet was allowed to reopen following an ordered clean-up and re-inspections.
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