Florida Domino’s Shuts Down Because Live Roaches Shouldn’t Be Near Food

This cat did not eat pizza from the Domino’s in question. (brandylee)

If the thought of bugs crawling around in a restaurant kitchen near food terrifies you, it’s best to stop reading now. A Florida Domino’s had to shut down temporarily after inspectors say they witnessed more than 20 lives roaches crawling on a table on the cook’s line and hanging out in a bin of onions.

State documents from the Division of Hotels and Restaurants say inspectors not only saw live roaches bustling around the kitchen, but another 20 dead bugs under a table and under the pizza oven, reports WFTS Tampa Bay.

Inspectors issued a stop sale on that bin of onions, because um, live roaches, and found other violations including a hole in the wall and the absence of paper towels or a mechanical hand drying device near the hand wash sink for employees.

Domino’s corporate says the whole thing was just bad timing, as the store was in the process of exterminating its vermin when the health inspector happened to drop in. The company says all stores “typically have exterminator service once every 4-8 weeks,” and on that day, the “store was being serviced by an exterminator service when the health inspector came by. He saw the process, and evidence of roaches, and closed the store until the extermination process was complete. The health inspector came back and reopened the store.”

The company says the store was only closed for two hours. It’s unclear if any customers were at the restaurant or had ordered onions on their pizzas that day.

Live roaches crawling in the kitchen at Domino’s Pizza temporarily shuts it down [WFTS Tampa]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist