Springfield fast food spot temporarily closes due to breaker issue

A breaker issue temporarily closed a Springfield fast food restaurant for a couple hours, according to the Springfield-Greene County Health Department's food inspection reports from this week.

Despite having a "breaker issue overnight" that affected the meat case, dairy case and walk-in cooler at Braum's Ice Cream No. 284, on West Republic Road, the report says that when the inspector came into the restaurant at 9:44 a.m. Aug. 11, employees were still serving potentially hazardous food from the walk-in cooler. The manager said the three coolers were at 56 degrees to 60 degrees Fahrenheit when they came into the store.

The inspector returned later that day and reinstated the restaurant's permit once the meat case and walk-in cooler were at the right temperature. However, as of Aug. 15, the dairy case cooler was still not able to hold a safe temperature, according to that day's report, and the store manager would "call repairman and discuss permanent solution with repair company and district/regional supervisors."

Food inspections take place one to three times a year, depending on the type of food served, the population served, difficulty of food preparation and past history. Restaurants preparing food from raw ingredients are inspected more often "than convenience stores that serve only non-potentially hazardous foods, such as popcorn and soda," according to the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.

Each report identifies what was happening at the establishment at that time. Consumers who want to know whether a violation is a one-time thing or a pattern are encouraged to refer to previous reports.

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Issues found during inspection fall into either priority or non-priority violations. Priority violations impact the safety of the food, such as cross contamination between raw and ready-to-eat food, improper food temperature and poor personal hygiene and employee health. Multiple priority violations can lead to an establishment being shut down. Non-priority violations alone do not directly affect food safety, such as dirty floors, sticky tabletops or outside trash cans not being covered.

Here are food inspections from the past week:

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7 Brew Coffee, 333 S. Western Ave., Springfield. Aug. 15 routine inspection – Result: active. Discussed relabeling bottles with worn labeling. No priority violations. One non-priority violation: Observed door seal on walk-in cooler door is loose.

Angler's Lodge, 621 W. Sunshine St., Springfield. Aug. 15 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed bowl of single-serving cream cheese packages tested at 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and was placed on time as a control and set to be discarded at end of service. Person in charge stated they will look into an alternative method for cold holding those items. Education was provided and violation was corrected on site. No non-priority violations.

Applebee's Neighborhood Bar & Grill, 2430 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield. Aug. 15 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. Two non-priority violations: Observed weakening of a wall, ceiling tiles and missing floor tiles; observed food items on floor of walk-in freezer and build-up of debris under a rack in dry storage room.

Bair's All-American Sports Grill, 3821 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield. Aug. 14 routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. Three priority violations: 1. Observed walk-in cooler holding potentially hazardous foods at 42 degrees to 44 degrees. Owner stated she has two air conditioning units out of service, which may be affecting cooler temperatures as ambient air is warm. Owner called repair company immediately. 2. Observed low-boy cooler holding potentially hazardous food between 55 degrees and 58 degrees, which were voluntarily discarded. 3. Observed gnats and flies in dish room, inspector recommended that restaurant remove standing water on bucket lids and floor to help minimize and to contact pest control. One non-priority violation: Observed build-up of grease on vent hood filters and frame with grease dripping into the north-side floor of the hood, owner stated hood-cleaning company scheduled.

Beefaroo, 3312 E. Chestnut Expressway, Springfield. Aug. 10 routine inspection – Result: active. Two priority violations: Observed cheese being hot held at 127 degrees, education provided and corrected on site by staff reheating cheese to 170 degrees and raising heat on hot-hold unit; observed various potentially hazardous foods were not labeled, education was given and staff corrected violation on site by labeling food. No non-priority violations.

Bingo Emporium, 2345 W. Catalpa St., Springfield. Aug. 10 re-inspection – Result: active. Priority item corrected, sanitizer at proper strength in three-vat sink. No violations cited.

Boys & Girls Club Musgrave Unit, 720 S. Park Ave., Springfield. Aug. 10 re-inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. Found mouse droppings in storage room. No priority violations. One non-priority violation: Observed mouse droppings in storeroom and kitchen.

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Braum's Ice Cream No. 284, 2617 W. Republic Road, Springfield. Aug. 11 (9:44 a.m.) suspended permit inspection – Result: suspend. Store had a breaker issue with walk-in cooler, dairy cooler and meat cooler causing potentially hazardous foods to be above 41 degrees. Store was still operating with food pulled from walk-in cooler. Service stopped and suspension signs posted. All affected potentially hazardous foods is being voluntarily discarded. Two priority violations: 1. Observed establishment emptying dairy and meat grocery coolers, manager informed inspector a breaker issue overnight affected meat case, dairy case and walk-in cooler. Manager found temperatures to be 56 degrees to 60 degrees across the three coolers. Inspector measured temperatures at 44 degrees to 66 degrees. All potentially hazardous food items in units were voluntarily discarded, and maintenance was on-site at time of visit to reset breaker and ensure coolers come down to 41 degrees or below. 2. Observed breakfast being served with potentially hazardous foods that were taken from walk-in cooler out of temperature, which was corrected on-site by suspending permit. All potentially hazardous foods from grill area coolers were voluntarily discarded. No non-priority violations.

Braum's Ice Cream No. 284, 2617 W. Republic Road, Springfield. Aug. 11 (11:40 a.m.) suspended permit re-inspection – Result: approval. Approved to re-open, permit reinstated. Walk-in cooler and meat open case cooler are now below 41F as required. All potentially hazardous foods that were above 41 degrees have been voluntarily discarded. The open case dairy cooler is still at 46F ambient air, however, cooler is emptied and will not be restocked until inspector rechecks the unit this afternoon. One priority violation: Observed open-case dairy cooler holding at 46 degrees; case is empty. Manager agrees not to stock cooler until inspector is notified to recheck today. No non-priority violations.

Braum's Ice Cream No. 284, 2617 W. Republic Road, Springfield. Aug. 11 (12:40 p.m.) routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. One priority violation: Observed dairy cooler holding at 45 to 46 degrees, which will remain empty until inspector is notified by management that the cooler is below 41 degrees and rechecks it. One non-priority violation: Observed grease build-up on vent hood frames and fryers.

Braum's Ice Cream No. 284, 2617 W. Republic Road, Springfield. Aug. 15 re-inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. One priority violation: Observed empty case temperature still holding at 43 degrees to 54 degrees, and case must be 41 or below. Manager agrees to call repairman and discuss permanent solution with repair company and district/regional supervisors. No non-priority violations.

Chicken Salad Chick, 1322 E. Battlefield Road, Springfield. Aug. 14 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations cited.

China King of Springfield, LLC, 2123 W. Republic Road, Springfield. Aug. 11 re-inspection – Result: active. Priority item corrected: Prep cooler now holding below 41 degrees as required. No violations cited.

Git N Go, 3030 S. Jefferson Ave., Springfield. Aug. 11 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations cited.

Golden Estates, 1134 W. Norton Road, Springfield. Aug. 16 routine inspection – result: active. One priority violation: Observed two No. 10 cans dented on food storage shelf, education was given and corrected on-site. One non-priority violation: Observed hot water did not reach 100 degrees in kitchen hand-washing sink.

Haruno Japanese Sushi & Bar, 3044 S. Fremont Ave., Springfield. Aug. 10 re-inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. At time of re-inspection, reach-in cooler was still reading warm. A second re-inspection will be performed. No violations cited.

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Hong Kong Inn, 1421 W. Kearney St., Springfield. Aug. 14 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. Three non-priority violations: Observed shelving in walk-in cooler, above prep line and handle to walk-in cooler not clean; observed wiping cloths found not stored in sanitizer, education given; observed corner of wall by employee hand-washing sink was damaged.

Hooters, 2010 E. Independence St., Springfield. Aug. 14 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. One non-priority violation: Observed flooring in kitchen area was damaged and missing floor tiles allowing water to pool under the floor. This is a long-term issue that has been discussed on numerous inspections.

King's Asian Chef, 1336 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield. Aug. 10 routine inspection – Result: active. Three priority violations: Observed potentially hazardous foods not being cooled down from 135 degrees to 41 degrees within six hours — cooked chicken temperature was at 44 degrees to 45 degrees — education was given and staff discarded the two containers of chicken; observed potentially hazardous foods not being hot held at 135 degrees or higher — cooked chicken at 127 degrees, cream cheese wontons at 127 degrees — education was given and corrected on site by staff discarding the foods in hot wells and increasing unit temperature; observed ready-to-eat cooked foods stored directly under raw meat products, education was given and corrected on site by staff re-organizing walk-in. Three non-priority violations: Observed absence of time control logs for cooked chicken, education given and corrected on site by staff placing time on board when it left temperature control; observed clutter of items in dry storage room under a leak; observed ice scoop stored directly on top of the ice machine that had dust build-up.

Kum & Go No. 1481, 3623 E. Sunshine St., Springfield. Aug. 14 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted at time of inspection.

Kum & Go No. 567, 2904 E. Sunshine St., Springfield. Aug. 14 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted at time of inspection.

McBee's Coffee & Carwash, 1212 W. Kearney St., Springfield. Aug. 16 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted during the inspection.

Mercy Springfield Cafeteria, 1235 E. Cherokee St., Springfield. Aug. 15 conduct food school – Result: inspection passed.

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Pancho's Mexican Food, 2110 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield. Aug. 15 routine inspection – Result: active. Two priority violations: Observed multiple foods kept over 24 hours were not properly date marked, like salsa, chips, tamales, potatoes and ground beef, education was provided and violation corrected on site; observed employee crack raw egg on stovetop with gloved hands and then handle ready-to-eat lettuce and tomato without washing hands and changing gloves, education was provided and corrected on site. Two non-priority violations: Observed potatoes at 62 degrees with no records for time as control, but person-in-charge said they forgot to mark them, education was provided and violation corrected on site; observed floor in dry storage area is not clean.

Panda Inn-Asian Fusion LLC, 3025 W. Republic Road, Springfield. Aug. 16 routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. No priority violations. Four non-priority violations: Observed no letter or agreement from salmon supplier stating the salmon has frozen the fish to the temperatures listed under 3-402.11 of the Missouri Food Code, owner agrees to provide documentation and serve fried sushi until letter is available; observed no discard time noted on fried chicken on prep table, corrected by discarding chicken and education provided; observed hand-sink faucet in men's restroom is broken, which owner agrees to replace and to close restroom until it is replaced; observed improper cooling method — thin chicken in quarter pans in top of prep cooler at 46 degrees to 60 degrees made at 11:30 a.m. (inspection at 3:27 p.m.), chicken placed in wok pan on ice bath and cooled to 39 degrees to 40 degrees within 30 minutes, which was corrected on-site and education provided.

Price Cutter No. 20 Deli/Salad Bar, 355 N. Nolting Ave., Springfield. Aug. 16 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. Two non-priority violations: Observed storing cleaners and scrubbing pads in hand sink, corrected at time of inspection; observed foods packaged for sale on-site not labeled with ingredients.

Rise Nutrition, 1652 E. U.S. Highway 60 East, Republic. Aug. 10 routine inspection – Result: active. Discussed the following: 1. Storing single-serve lids at least six inches off floor; 2. Labeling grab-n-go items with name and contact information, quantity and ingredients; 3. Labeling all foods and cleaners; 4. Needs a handwashing sign in restroom. No violations cited at time of inspection.

Springfield Family Restaurant, 2222 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield. Aug. 15 routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. Two priority violations: 1. Observed medium-sized bin of salsa tested at 45 degrees, small bin of salsa tested at 44 degrees, ambient air temperature for one-door prep table tested at 48 degrees. All potentially hazardous foods in cooler were voluntarily discarded. 2. Observed multiple food items kept for 24 hours were not date marked, such as breakfast potatoes, noodles, fruit and melon mix and salsa, corrected on site and education was provided. Two non-priority violations: Observed ice machine in back has mold growth on back plate inside the machine, education provided; observed light fixture above walk-in cooler does not have a protective shielding for bulbs, education provided.

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Springhouse Village Springfield East, 3877 E. Farm Road 132, Springfield. Aug. 15 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations cited during inspection.

Steak 'n' Shake, 2760 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield. Aug. 15 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. Two non-priority violations: Observed accumulation of food debris in both microwaves and underneath a shelf that hangs over hot wells; observed sticker residue on the outside of a food container.

Subway, 4852 S. State Highway FF, Battlefield. Aug. 15 routine inspection – Result: active. Core item from October 2022 corrected; cutting board replaced. One priority violation: Observed employee washing hands for about five to ten seconds, corrected on site with education provided. No non-priority violations.

Subway 42046, 3545 S. National Ave., Springfield. Aug. 11 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. One non-priority violation: Observed no paper towels at hand-washing sink in kitchen, which was corrected at time of inspection.

Sushi Village, 1440 W. Republic Road, Springfield. Aug. 16 routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. Three priority violations: Observed employee at sushi station wipe their face without removing gloves and washing hands, employee removed gloves and washed hands after being asked, education was provided and corrected on site; observed noodles, chicken and imitation crab mixture in slide coolers had no use-by date, education provided and corrected on site; observed dish machine has zero parts per million chlorine residual, when chlorine level should be at least 50 ppm, owner agrees to call repair company immediately and sanitized all dishes and ware in three-vat sink. Two non-priority violations: Observed no paper towels at sushi station hand sink, corrected on site; observed the dish machine and dish racks are not clean, which need to be cleaned before use and owner agrees to order new dish racks if racks do not come clean.

Taco Bell No. 001695, 2933 S. National Ave., Springfield. Aug. 14 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.

Taco Bell No. 002277, 4140 S. Lipscomb Ave., Springfield. Aug. 14 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed at the time of inspection; core item from previous inspection corrected: vent hood and filters have been cleaned.

Taco Bell No. 036366, 3860 W. Sunshine St., Springfield. Aug. 10 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed at the time of inspection.

The Barnhouse Event Center - Kitchen, 5484 W. Sunshine St., Brookline. Aug. 16 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. Three non-priority violations: Observed dish machine well has build-up of oil and grease, employee cleaned it immediately; observed ice bin shield has build-up and sides of bin walls have build-up, owner agrees to contact maintenance company for cleaning; observed dish machine temperature reaching 111 degrees.

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The Hill, 600 E. Battlefield Road, Springfield. Aug. 10 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed not properly date-marking all ready-to-eat potentially hazardous foods with the proper date for discarding, which was corrected at time of inspection.

The Roost Bar & Grill No. 2, 4216 S. Cox Ave., Springfield. Aug. 15 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. Three non-priority violations: Observed east side of vent hood frame has build-up of grease and grease is beading on frame bottom; observed no time noted on chicken batter, corrected by placing time out and discard time on whiteboard; observed no paper towels at bar hand sink, which was corrected on-site by placing paper towels in dispenser.

White River Brewing Company, 505 W. Commercial St., Springfield. Aug. 16 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed chemical spray bottles without labeling, education given and corrected on-site. No non-priority violations.

Whole Hog Cafe, 2731 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield. Aug. 15 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. Five non-priority violations: Observed daylight along bottom of front doors and back exterior door in kitchen, which is a repeat violation; observed area around soda nozzle on soda machine was not clean, repeat violation; observed inside of ice machine chute not clean; observed pest control devices need to be changed out; observed loose seal on hot-hold cabinet door on service line.

Wicked Wok, 4852 S. State Highway FF, Battlefield. Aug. 16 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violation. One non-priority violation: Observed cook not wearing hair restraint.

Wings Etc., 2651 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield. Aug. 15 routine inspection – Result: active. Two priority violations: Observed spray bottles had no labeling, education was given and corrected on site; observed cup for blender was cracked and missing a piece, education given and corrected on site. Six non-priority violations: Observed ceiling vents and shelves along cook line not clean; observed old date labeling sticker residue on outside of food containers; observed mops stored in mop sink or bucket; observed cutting boards on prep table need to be resurfaced or replaced, education given; observed kitchen hood system not clean; observed prep table lids and handles damaged or not closing properly.

Susan Szuch is the health and public policy reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].