Sha Scott enjoys dinner and a movie with her family at the Studio Movie Grill at the University Square Mall in North Tampa.
But she had no idea the dine-in movie theater at 12332 University Mall Court temporarily closed due to rodents inside.
"They were just shut down for rodents," ABC Action News anchor Wendy Ryan explains to Sha.
"No, you lying! You is lying," Sha says in disbelief.
"I'm not kidding. They were just shut down for rodents in the kitchen," Ryan explains.
"Oh my God! I won't take my baby there no more," Sha responds.
Our ABC Action News I-Team uncovered that inspectors found a live rodent running through the dish area along with rodent droppings near the fryer and dish room. They closed the place for over 16 hours on June 23.
And Sha is also concerned about the temperature of the food.
"We got our food twice. We had to order our wings twice because they was cold," Sha explains.
"That was one of the things. Chicken wings is one of the items at improper temperatures," Ryan answers.
"Yeah, they always cold," Sha said.
In June, the state also found many items at dangerous temperatures.
Inside various coolers, inspectors found sour cream at 55 degrees, baked beans at 48 degrees, cooked chicken wings at 54 degrees, sliced tomatoes at 50 degrees, coleslaw at 49 degrees cooked ribs at 50 degrees, cooked chicken at 49 degrees, and garlic cream sauce at 49 degrees. All cold food should be 41 degrees or below.
And other hot food was not enough at 135 degrees Fahrenheit or above. The state discovered cooked onions and mushrooms at 90 to 126 degrees, cooked beef at 120 degrees, and cooked chicken at 111 degrees.
"How often have you eaten there?" Ryan asked.
"A lot. We spend about $30 every time we go," Sha answered.
Ryan headed inside the upscale theater to get some answers but the manager explained he could not comment about anything.
But inspectors had plenty of comments over the last 10 months, writing up 77 violations.
They documented employees not washing their hands, the dish machine not sanitizing properly, no hot water, and employees not properly trained in food safety. That last violation came with an administrative complaint and $280 fine.
So Sha decided now she will never return to the Studio Movie Grill.
"I won't take my baby back there no more. I won't go back there," Sha said emphatically.
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Studio Movie Grill Statement:
Studio Movie Grill management takes these kinds of health issues extremely seriously and the matter has undergone the deepest scrutiny. Additionally, we have also been working with Mall management to ensure we are aligned on maintaining the highest level of health and safety for our guests. A new health certificate was issued and clearance to re-open given.
Please know we care very deeply about our Tampa community and team and the revitalization of the University Mall area has been paramount to SMG's mission and purpose to drive traffic to support growth and employment.
Lynne McQuaker
Director of Public Relations & Outreach
Studio Movie Grill
