The legendary Columbia Restaurant’s Clearwater location was temporarily shut down as an emergency closure Monday after a state health inspector reported finding 70 live flies swarming around the kitchen.
According to the report, the inspector found flies in the dish area, around the cook line, and in the salad prep area.
The restaurant was ordered to temporarily close until management could get pest control to clean up the issue. The health inspector returned several hours later and cleared the establishment to reopen.
This is the restaurant’s second emergency closure. Several years back, the same Clearwater location was shut down for similar issues.
General Manager Lee Michaud tells 10News the restaurant will be installing new fly-capturing devices along the outside walls of the restaurant in an attempt to keep the flies from getting inside. The restaurant is also looking at several other options to ensure the problem doesn’t happen again.
Management invited our 10News camera into the kitchen. Restaurant Red Alert reporter Beau Zimmer found clean conditions and no more flies.
10News food safety expert David Steck says flies can be just as dangerous as cockroaches when it comes to food safety.
“Flies can be as bad or potentially worse than roaches because flies can travel much further distances,” says Steck, who is most concerned when the six-legged insects land on a customer’s food. “They’re attracted to animal feces which harbor a lot of contaminants, including all those viruses that can make us sick.”
You can take a look at the Clearwater Columbia Restaurant’s full inspection history here.
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