Panda Lover Cited for Roach Infestation

Panda Lover will have a mandated follow-up inspection by state code enforcers in the next several weeks, after an April review documented 16 violations that included roaches crawling in food and on kitchen shelves, as well as dirty utensils and food prep equipment.

WTSP Channel 10 visited the Clearwater restaurant, 1969 Sunset Point Rd., after state health officials shut down Panda Lover for three days last month until the owner was able to address violation to meet health and safety standards.

The state had cited the restaurant for 16 code violations, including four listed as "high priority," according to WTSP.

The most pressing violations were:

• Hand washing sink not accessible to employees
• Equipment and utensils improperly cleaned
• Roach infestation that included roaches crawling in a container of cabbage, inside a cooler and under the woks.

The restaurant was able to fix problems to state standards in order to open after the emergency 72-hour shutdown. But it will have to undergo another inspection in the next several weeks.

When WTSP reporters attempted to talk to restaurant management, they were asked to leave.

According to WTSP:

And while we couldn't check out the kitchen, we could see plenty, even through the front window, where we found several dead insects in the front dining room.

*updated 2:58 p.m. May 10, 2013

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