A Fayetteville restaurant failed its most recent health inspection by a wide margin, earning a score of 46 out of 100 and triggering a required follow-up visit.
Frank’s at the Old Mill, located at 1095 Highway 54 West, was inspected June 25 by the Georgia Department of Public Health. A score below 70 is considered unsatisfactory. The restaurant’s follow-up inspection is scheduled for July 9.
Temperature violations drove the most serious findings
The inspection turned up multiple critical violations tied to food temperature, which health officials consider among the most serious risks to public safety.
Inspectors found cold foods being held above the required 41 degrees and hot foods being held below the required 135 degrees. In both cases, food was discarded on the spot.
The cooling violations were extensive. At the fry station, tuna, chicken, and shrimp were all cooling far too slowly, dropping only one degree or less over more than an hour. Fresh sliced tomatoes at the salad station actually rose in temperature during a 40-minute window. In the walk-in cooler, spinach dip, marsala, and linguine showed little to no temperature drop after nearly an hour of cooling. All items were discarded.
Inspectors also found that the restaurant was stacking pans of potato wedges directly on top of each other while cooling and sealing pasta in a fully covered plastic tub in the walk-in, both of which prevent food from cooling at a safe rate. Those violations were not corrected during the inspection.
Hand-washing and food handling failures flagged throughout
Inspectors observed a line employee who handled raw chicken and raw fish without washing hands between tasks, only sometimes changing gloves. Front-of-house staff and non-line kitchen workers were also seen entering the kitchen or switching tasks without washing their hands. All staff were educated and washed hands before the inspector left.
A separate violation was cited after an employee at the expeditor station handled ready-to-eat food with bare hands. That food was thrown out.
The hand sink near the fry station had no soap when inspectors arrived. Soap was restocked before the inspection ended.
Chemicals found stored near food and utensils
Inspectors found cleaning chemicals stored above and alongside food and food-contact surfaces in multiple locations throughout the restaurant. Spray bottles of cleaner and Windex were found over food and clean utensils at the expeditor line. Windex was also stored over clean utensils in the rear preparation area. Rubbing alcohol was found stored with or above clean utensils at the expeditor area, the bar, and the server station. A sanitizer solution was stored next to clean utensils on the line. All chemicals were moved before the inspector left.
Dented cans, unlabeled containers, and uncovered food
Six cans in dry storage had dents on seams, large dents on sides, or damaged seams on the top or bottom. After the inspector identified the six damaged cans, the person in charge sent an employee to go through all remaining cans and pull any others that were damaged. All were discarded.
Inspectors also found unlabeled pour bottles at the bar and unlabeled squirt bottles in a reach-in cooler. Large containers of vegetables on the line were left uncovered, and pasta stored in the walk-in from the previous day was not covered. All were corrected during the inspection.
Sanitizer system failed during inspection
The sanitizer solution in the three-compartment sink, used for washing dishes by hand, tested at zero parts per million, meaning it provided no sanitizing effect. The person in charge could not get the automatic mixing system working during the inspection, so the sink was refilled with sanitizer poured in by hand.
Additional violations noted
Inspectors cited the restaurant for a repeat violation involving staff wearing watches and bracelets while handling food. Wet wiping cloths were found sitting on counters rather than stored in sanitizer solution. Employee drinks, including a screw-cap bottle and a cup without a proper lid and straw, were stored above prep coolers and preparation tables on the line.
Personal items including purses, jackets, phones, and other belongings were found stored on shelves above clean utensils and on preparation tables. All were moved.
The probe thermometer being used by the person in charge was not accurate within the required two-degree margin. That was not corrected during the inspection.
Inspectors also noted standing water on the floor in the walk-in cooler and in a rear storage area, wet containers stacked before air drying, single-use cups stored on the floor in an upstairs storage area, food debris and sauce buildup inside equipment on the line, and breading stored on the floor.
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
