A local donut shop will need to purchase a different type of fly trap after an inspection last week. A local candy manufacturer will also need to do a thorough cleaning before its next routine inspection.
Ellianna’s Donut Shop, 1105 Grindstone Parkway, Suite 101, was using self-adhesive tape-style fly traps during the routine inspection on June 26. Discussions were held with management about the correct type for food establishments. It is either a cylinder type with a tray on the bottom or a UV trap with an adhesive pad. The tape trap was removed during the inspection.
Routine inspections occur two to three times a year depending on the priority and location of Columbia restaurants, PHHS previously said. Follow-up inspections are held for critical violations. Non-critical violations can usually be fixed by restaurants by the next routine inspection. Reports are due June 26 through Monday.
Ellianna’s also had to come up with a different solution for displaying its maple bacon bars and sausage patties, as these are considered potentially hazardous foods. Both were in unrefrigerated display cases, and an inspector points out that potentially hazardous foods must be stored at either 135 degrees or above or 41 degrees or below. Otherwise, all potentially hazardous foods must be discarded after four hours.
So the maple bacon bars were time stamped and two kolashes were labeled “for viewing only” while the rest were placed in the refrigerator. An inspector also found an unshielded lightbulb in a food preparation area. This non-critical violation can be corrected by the routine inspection in October.
The inspector was presented with a June 5 invoice for a broken pane of a double-pane window near the drive-thru, but a glass shop has not yet come to repair it. The inspector suggested keeping the on-site food manager certificate for the store owner, valid until September 2025, as well as one for the store manager.
The café also has a problem with fly traps
Scooter’s Coffee at 5 Old Highway 63 S. also had a problem with a fly trap on June 25, but there were other, more serious problems with the water line.
An inspector found a fly trap that had accumulated dead flies. This non-critical violation was discussed with management, and it was suggested that traps be removed more frequently to prevent accumulation and that multiple traps be purchased for different locations in the store.
The cafe’s air conditioning system is leaking, causing water to pool in the basement. An air gap is required between a supply pipe and a floor drain at a prep sink, but there was none. The pipes and drains are also leaking sewage into the basement, causing rust and corrosion on the pipes. These issues must be addressed before a re-inspection on July 9. One issue addressed during the inspection was the concentration of the sanitizing solution at a three-bowl sink. It was not strong enough. The inspector also found deep scratches and gouges on the inside of the cooler. Discussion has been held with management about resurfacing the insides of the coolers to keep food contact surfaces smooth and easy to clean. Used wipes must be stored in a sanitizing solution when they come into contact with water or food. This has been discussed with management. Once dry, they can be stored outside.
Downtown candy store needs thorough cleaning
The Candy Factory, 701 Cherry St., in downtown Columbia will update its equipment cleaning schedule after it is inspected on June 27.
Most violations are non-critical and can be corrected by a routine inspection in December.
Food was stored on the floor instead of six inches above it; food storage containers (e.g., sugar, salt) were not labeled; there was excessive accumulation of food debris and splatters on floors, walls, window sills, unused equipment, non-food contact surfaces, and an entire bowl in the caramelizing room; excessive dust had accumulated on a second-floor ceiling fan—to name a few.
Thorough cleaning is required to prevent excessive buildup on equipment so it doesn’t attract pests, the report said. Management has agreed to increase the frequency of disassembly and thorough cleaning of equipment from three times a year to every two months and to clean easily accessible non-food contact surfaces more frequently.
Also, candy displays need to be closed with sliding doors, a missing door on the production line needs to be replaced instead of a taped cardboard box that is not smooth or does not clean easily, broken floor tiles on the second floor near the office need to be replaced or repaired, mechanical ventilation in the second floor bathroom needs to be replaced as it is not working, and a missing ceiling tile on the second floor near a dry storage area needs to be replaced.
The store must install a drip tray under a condenser in the walk-in freezer, which must be removed, defrosted and cleaned regularly. The inspector found that the dripping condenser was causing ice to build up on food.
Most pressing, however, is cleaning popcorn machines that are not in use and stored in the office. Any equipment that is not in use must be thoroughly cleaned, as storing equipment that is dirty or contains food debris can attract pests, the report said.
More: Why this Columbia restaurant had to temporarily close after an inspection
Other recent inspections
The other recent inspections were primarily of restaurants and other hospitality establishments correcting previous violations. There were a few routine inspections and two inspections found no violations.
At TGI Fridays, 3030 I-70 Drive SE, there were no violations on June 26, but there was a discussion about debris on the floor of the walk-in freezer. There were also no violations during Monday’s routine inspection at the Panera Bread store at Columbia Mall.
All previous critical and non-critical violations at McDonald’s at Business Loop 70 E and Clark Lane, Fazoli’s (1114 I-70 Drive SW), To Go Sandwiches (308 S. Ninth St) and Hot Box Cookies (1013 E. Broadway) were corrected following re-inspections last week.
During routine inspections in other catering establishments last week, labelling was a critical issue.
Two chemical storage bottles at different locations of Broadway Brewery, 816 E. Broadway, were missing labels on June 27. This has been corrected. Additionally, an unshielded lightbulb was located in a walk-in cooler, but this can be corrected by a routine inspection in August.
An oil bottle in a food preparation area at Crumbl Cookies, 21 Conley Road, Suite R, was missing a label Monday. The food display at a cash register was also uncovered and did not have a “for display only” sign. Food displays must be protected from contamination. Butter labeled “keep refrigerated” was sitting out at room temperature, and management indicated this was part of a product test. An inspector needs product test results by July 4 before considering the violation corrected. Access to the handwashing sink was blocked by either boxes or kitchen equipment. A chemical spray bottle on a mop sink had a label attached. The bakery’s back door was also not fully sealed. This must be corrected by the next routine inspection to prevent insects or rodents from entering.
Nothing Bundt Cakes, 2900 Trimble Road, Suite 103, may clean soil and debris in the door seal and floor of a walk-in cooler discovered during a routine inspection on June 28 in December.
Charles Dunlap covers local politics, community stories and other general issues for the Tribune. Reach him at [email protected] or @CD_CDT on X, formerly Twitter. Subscribe to support important local journalism.
