Popular Chicago Seafood Shack Shut Down For Rodent Violations

CHICAGO — Calumet Fisheries, a popular culinary destination for Chicago-area seafood lovers and seekers, has been closed down by health officials who found numerous violations regarding rodents, according to city health data.

The Chicago Department of Public Health shut down the seafood shack on the city’s southeast side on Oct. 31, citing a series of failed inspections and finding more than 400 rodent droppings in storage areas and the basement, according to city health records.

Records also indicate that dead and decaying mice were found at the motors of the front-display coolers in addition to several other violations, according to the report on the city health department’s website

The eatery, which opened in 1948 and is located on East 95th Street, was given a week to correct various violations, but when health inspectors returned, further evidence of mice and rat droppings were discovered, including 150 rodent droppings in several areas.

However, the Chicago-Sun-Times reported on Friday that the eatery’s owner believes that the fish shack got a “raw deal” from inspectors.

However, co-owner Mark Kotlick told the newspaper that the eatery hopes to re-open within a couple of weeks once renovations and repairs are completed.

“We haven’t been in business for over 75 years to close down for a small violation,” Kotlick told the Chicago Sun-Times.

According to photos posted on Facebook and pinned to the restaurant’s social media page, posted signs at Calumet Fisheries indicate that the seafood shack is closed for remodeling along with a green notice from the city health department that the business’s license has been suspended.

The owners of the eatery told the Sun-Times they are working on correcting the violations and hope to re-open soon.