Greenfield shuts down KFC/Taco Bell after inspections reveal about 30 violations
Published: 08-10-2023 4:19 PM |
GREENFIELD — The Kentucky Fried Chicken/Taco Bell restaurant on the Mohawk Trail was shut down by the Greenfield Health Department on Thursday morning after an inspection found about 30 health and safety-related concerns or violations.
Health Inspectors Nicole Ducharme and Jess Maenzo-Tanner arrived at the restaurant at 10 a.m., shortly before its 10:30 a.m. opening, to find a slew of health code violations and concerns in both the restroom and kitchen areas, including grease on the floor beneath the fryers, sticky floors in the seating area, and expired or out-of-date food items, some of which were in warmers or on prep-boards. The inspectors also found dishes and trays in the walk-in fridge with stagnant meat juice, as well as dirty sinks and a lack of paper towels and hand soap in the restrooms.
“We showed up at 10 … because it should be clean,” Ducharme said during her inspection of the restaurant at 242 Mohawk Trail on Thursday. “This means they’re not doing their jobs the night before, so that’s very concerning.
“You can’t really blame one person if you’re a team,” she added.
Health Director Jennifer Hoffman said Fire Capt. Dan Smith, who was also at the restaurant on Thursday, identified expired fire vents in the kitchen area. The restaurant is to remain closed until all violations are resolved, according to an order from the Health Department.
A representative from the parent company, Franchise Management Inc., wrote in an email Thursday that the company plans to address the issues with the city.
“I’m confident we will reopen very soon and we will take any concerns very seriously,” wrote Matthew Leech, chief growth officer.
Hoffman explained that KFC/Taco Bell temporarily closed at the end of April to repair a roof that was leaking. Prior to that, around mid-April, the restaurant passed a health inspection.
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“They were really clean,” Ducharme recalled, noting that in April, the crew seem to be better staffed. Hoffman noted that the regional manager for the business has only been working there for a few months and its manager for only a few weeks.
Health inspectors said they were on site Thursday after hearing that the fast food establishment had reopened since the roof repair. Maenzo-Tanner said an inspection is typical after a business does any kind of major work.
Maenzo-Tanner, who recently joined the department after years of experience in the food industry, said she was concerned, in particular, with the conditions of the floor.
“There’s no way you can not slip on that floor, especially around the fryers,” she said.
Beyond needing to be “terminally cleaned,” the building will need to be visited by a plumber and an electrician, and Building Inspector Mark Snow is also expected to inspect the roof for leaks.
Hoffman said the restaurant has been flagged in the past for cleanliness issues.
“It’s going to be awhile” before the Health Department can return for a follow-up inspection, she said.
Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.