Texas Roadhouse health inspection failed, and it’s not just them
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
A health inspection prompted the temporary closure of a Texas Roadhouse in Henrietta, NY, due to a pest infection, including mice and roaches.
During a health inspection by the Monroe County Department of Public Health, the department had to temporarily shut down the Texas Roadhouse located in Henrietta, New York on Wednesday, Feb. 19. Within the indicated investigation report, the department recorded at least three health hazards liable towards the public, with an additional seven unknown violations as of now. This investigation originated due to a circulating video on social media showcasing baby mice roaming the restaurant.
While most of the violations are unknown, the report indicates that the restaurant was shut down because of a pest infestation. Roaches were found underneath the dishwashing machine and within the sauce on top of the main cooking line, and peanut bags were found to be ripped open by rodent teeth marks. There were also numerous findings of mouse droppings around the restaurant and a dead mouse lodged within one of the soda machines— situated within the kitchen and out of public view.
These violations caused the restaurant’s permit to be suspended, rendering the location closed for a period. An exterminator was also required to come and solve the ongoing issues with the location.
Yet, the shutdown did not last long, as the restaurant will be reopening back up on Friday, Feb. 21. at 4:00 pm, less than two days after its initial closing. This comes after news that the location has now passed all of the health department inspections.
After the reopening was announced, a statement was made by the Texas Roadhouse company where they explained, “Our restaurant at 3150 W. Henrietta Rd in Rochester, NY has passed all Monroe County Health Department inspections and will be reopening at 4:00 pm on Friday, Feb. 21. All infrastructure issues that were allowing pests in have been repaired. As an added precaution, several deep cleanings of the entire building have occurred both by our staff and by third-party vendors. We have reinforced sanitation practices and protocols with our staff to ensure this issue does not occur again. We appreciate the partnership with the Monroe County Health Department to work through these issues and ensure that our store is ready to welcome back our loyal guests.”
So, while this might be an open and shut case, that is far from the truth for much of the world’s dining establishments. Safety and cleanliness have been reported to be on a downward spiral since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report done by Hazel Analytics during the Nation’s Restaurant News Food Safety Symposium in 2023.
The report from data collected from Sept. 2022 to Sept. 2023 shows that over two million health inspections in restaurants found that the top violation of the Federal Drug and Alcohol Administration code violations concerning food was handwashing. Almost 6 percent of restaurants do not have an adequate handwashing station, followed by not sanitizing food contact surfaces at 5.6 percent, no trained food protection manager on-site at 4.4 percent, inadequate cold holding temperatures for storing food at 3.7 percent, and food not being obtained by an approved source at 3.5 percent.
Inspections themselves have become harder to come by, leaving longer times for possible violations to occur and businesses to stay open with no repercussions for longer. The Department of Health has faced millions in budget cuts, resulting in fewer inspectors to maintain the work in New York City alone— with its over 40,000 restaurants.
As a result, these restaurants can do nothing but wait for the seemingly understaffed Department of Health to evaluate their business. Many restaurants wait months for an inspection to regrade their business and keep customers coming in.