Dirty Dining: Waffle House in Brandon shut down twice in 2011 for roach activity

BRANDON, Fla. - Whether you're eating their world famous hash browns or a classic waffle, Waffle House is always open for business 24 hours a day at 1412 West Brandon Blvd. in Brandon.

But on November 10, its normal business day was cut short when state inspectors shut down the restaurant. Fifty-nine live and dead roaches were discovered under the cooking equipment, steam table, dish machine and inside the reach in cooler.

ABC Action News anchor Wendy Ryan went to the restaurant to see if the problem was fixed but no manager was on duty when she arrived. So she spoke to Demitirius Douglas, who has worked at the Brandon Waffle House for the last year.

"Were you here when the state shut you down?" asked Ryan.

"Yes," Douglas responded. Douglas also said employees are cleaning more since the restaurant closure.

"Did you change anything you were doing? Change the cleaning practices?" Ryan asked.

"Yes, we started doing a lot more deep cleaning since that happened," Douglas said.

But this wasn't the first time this Waffle House was closed to the public for roach activity.

On September 9, inspectors saw 42 live roaches under the cooking equipment, forcing the facility to temporarily shut its doors.

"It's not a big, big problem, but I guess it's a reoccurring problem," Douglas admitted.

Temperature violations have also been a reoccurring problem at this popular breakfast spot.

On November 10, state inspectors documented waffle batter at 50 degrees. The same violation they wrote up on September 9 and April 4. All cold food should be at 41 degrees or below.

Other critical issues include build up of slime in the ice machine and food not date marked.

"How much of your day is spent cleaning?" Ryan asked.

"Well, most of my day is spent cleaning because second shift is the slowest," Douglas said.

But with more waffles hot on the grill, Douglas assured us the restaurant is safe to eat at and works hard to keep it that way.

Waffle House's response is below:

“We make every effort to provide a clean environment for our customers and associates. An exterminator has been to the location and the issue has been resolved. We will continue to take all the appropriate steps to ensure this restaurant meets health and sanitation standards.”

Sincerely,
Kelly

Kelly Thrasher
Media Relations/Communications
Waffle House, Inc.