The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) issued a red “closed” placard and immediately shut down Pancho & Lefty’s Cantina & Restaurante in Kailua-Kona due to multiple food safety violations.
The food establishment, operated by Kailua-Kona Restaurants Inc., received a red placard on August 7 and must remain closed until DOH conducts a follow-up inspection and all critical violations are resolved.
During a routine inspection, the health department inspector observed the following violations:
- Live and dead cockroaches were observed on food-contact surfaces, in ready-to-eat foods and in kitchen and food storage areas;
- Equipment, food-contact surfaces and utensils were not clean to sight and touch;
- Physical facilities were neither maintained nor cleaned;
- Handwashing sink was obstructed and not supplied with disposable towels;
- Refrigerated foods were not separated and protected to prevent cross-contamination;
- No Certified Safe Food Handler was on-site during operations.
The DOH is requiring the food establishment take the following corrective actions:
- Discard all contaminated food products;
- Have a professional pest control operator perform service and submit the service report to the DOH;
- Complete a deep cleaning and disinfection of all food- and non-food contact surfaces;
- Retrain employees on proper food storage requirements;
- Ensure all handwashing stations are unobstructed and equipped with disposable towels;
- Ensure at least one employee with a valid Safe Food Handler certificate is on duty during operational hours.
The establishment is required to remain closed for business until all violations have been corrected and the DOH conducts a follow-up inspection.
