Restaurant inspections: Bed bugs, rodent feces, grimy wok, insect in liquor in Wichita KS

Eight Wichita-area restaurants, lodging establishments and other businesses were deemed out of compliance during Kansas Department of Agriculture food safety and lodging inspections conducted Dec. 25-31.

Information about the Sedgwick County businesses and their violations, compiled Jan. 9, appears below with a summary of the problems inspectors noted on their reports. More details are posted in The Eagle’s searchable database of non-compliant restaurant and hotel inspections at www.kansas.com/databases.

Business owners who want to clarify or comment on out-of-compliance inspection results can contact Eagle reporter Amy Renee Leiker at 316-268-6644 or aleiker@wichitaeagle.com. Comments will be added to online stories. Businesses that failed are listed alphabetically at the end of this article.

More than 50 businesses surveyed Dec. 25-31 passed their inspections with few or no violations. You can see those at www.foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.

Failing an inspection doesn’t necessarily mean a business has to close; that’s rare. Most violations are minor and are corrected immediately during an inspection.

Businesses fall out of compliance with state rules when they have too many violations or certain types of problems that can increase the risk of a customer contracting a food-borne illness or when a problem can’t be fixed right away, such as pest infestations and plumbing issues.

When a business fails, it’s usually inspected again within 10 days.

To complain about conditions anywhere that serves or sells food to the public, email kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767.

Recent out-of-compliance inspections

Comfort Inn East Wichita, 9525 E. Corporate Hills Dr. in Wichita — A total of 10 violations during a Dec. 28 licensing inspection where it was inspected as both a food and a lodging establishment. Cited for not wrapping apples offered to customers individually to protect them from contamination, no food thermometer, ice bucket stored in toilet rooms, pH of pool wasn’t correct, broken emergency lights, hotel wasn’t logging carbon monoxide detector and smoke detector checks, fire extinguishers weren’t charged, bed bugs in one room, no “pet friendly” sign posted alerting guests that pets are welcome. Next inspection date listed: Jan. 7.

El Mexico Cafe, 2544 S. Seneca in Wichita — Six violations during a Dec. 29 inspection prompted by a complaint. Cited for not having enough sanitizer in bucket of wiping cloths, tub of cooked pork rojo and beef tacos in coolers didn’t get cold fast enough, no testing strips to measure sanitizer concentration, gasket on walk-in cooler “is tattered and partially falling off,” too much sanitizer in one sink. Next inspection date listed: Jan. 9.

Family Dollar Store, 1031 S. Meridian in Wichita — Three violations during a Dec. 30 follow-up inspection. Cited over cookie cereal and wafer cookie packages that had been “chewed on by rodents,” “fresh evidence of rodents” and new rodent excrement on cereal and cookie aisle, approximately 100 rodent droppings in back storage area under shelving. Next inspection: March 1.

Great Wall Restaurant, 407 E. Pawnee in Wichita — Ten violations during a Dec. 29 inspection prompted by a complaint. Cited over a bowl of raw chicken stored above raw carrots in cooler, raw shrimp stored above cooked shrimp, cooked noodles and garlic-oil mixture were stored at room temperature, restaurant was storing prepared foods in contact with cardboard boxes, dirty and grimy wok, cookie box stored in sink, leaking hand-washing sink, no soap at sink, no paper towels at sink. Next inspection date listed: Jan. 9.

Hampton Inn Wichita East, 9449 E. Corporate Hills Dr. in Wichita — Four violations during a Dec. 28 licensing inspection. Cited over cooked potatoes that weren’t kept hot enough, reach-in cooler wasn’t keeping yogurt cold enough, no food thermometer, no paper towels at kitchen hand-washing sink. Next inspection date listed: Jan. 7.

Las Rosas Wichita Mexican Grill, 1050 W. 47th St. South in Wichita — Three violations during a Dec. 27 routine inspection. Cited for not labeling several items including stuffed chili peppers and diced tomatoes with their preparation dates, cooked rice was stored in a T-shirt sack instead of a food-grade container, food thermometer didn’t work. The business was in compliance with one violation at its Jan. 6 follow-up inspection.

Ninza Sushi Bar, 8428 W. 13th St., Ste. 100 in Wichita — Seven violations during a Dec. 30 inspection listed as a follow-up to an administrative order. Cited over a “small winged insect” inside Hennessy liquor bottle, raw eggs stored over shredded imitation crab and raw chicken stored above containers of raw beef, restaurant was thawing imitation crab at room temperature in hand-washing sink, food thermometers weren’t properly calibrated, hand-washing sinks were being used to store relish and imitation crab, bottles of soap and bleach weren’t labeled, bottle of cleaner was stored with nozzle facing soda. Next inspection: Feb. 28.

Snacks, 6209 N. Broadway in Wichita — Two violations during a Dec. 28 follow-up inspection. Cited over a broken water pipe that led to lack of pressure at faucets, business didn’t close and tell the Kansas Department of Agriculture that it didn’t have water. The business voluntarily closed its soda fountains and coffee machines. Next inspection date listed: Jan. 8.