Health Board Shuts Down Framingham Restaurant

After failing four health inspections between May and the end of July, the Framingham Board of Health voted unanimously Monday night, Aug. 24 to shut down a Chinese food restaurant.

The Board of Health vote 3-0 to shut down Red Pepper, located at 17 Edgell Road, effectively immediately.

“I see a wanton disregard for the public health,” said Health Board member Laura Housman.

The restaurant will be allowed to re-open, if it hires a certified good protection manager, who will be on site, every hour the restaurant is in operation, hires a food safety consultant to work with staff and management, and gets approval from the Framingham Board of Health that improvements have been instituted.

Red Pepper owner Eusa Clementino appeared before the Health Board last night. This was not her first time before the Board. Red Pepper came before the Board in November of 2014, said Health Board member David Moore.

“We told you next time you come before us, more than likely we will be closing you,” said Health Board Chair Michael Hugo.

Hugo described the inspections that took place this summer as “absolutely horrific.”

Moore read excerpts from the inspections reports, which were not made public.

Critical violations noted during the inspections included:

• Food found uncovered - found during multiple inspections
  
• No towels or soap at the hand washing station
• Food temperature issues, for example eggs were reading 76 degrees and ground meat at 47 degrees
  
• Varmint activity - found during not one but two inspections
  
• Cleanliness issues - found during multiple inspections
  

“We don’t want this type of management,” said Moore.

Framingham Chief Environmental Health Officer Jason Dodd told the Board, before the vote to close, he was afraid of what is going to happen when his inspectors go back to the restaurant.

“It doesn’t serve anybody in this town to have you open,” said Health Board member Housman, before the vote, annoyed that this was the fifth time the Chinese restaurant had received critical violations during inspections within a year.

Hugo said there was “something wrong somewhere, other than one person. I would want to see you re-staffed.”

Hugo said that restaurant had hired three food consultants in the past, but that consultants reported no one at the restaurant was “paying attention” to what was being taught to them. He also noted that a well-respected consultant described the place as a “hopeless mess.”

Housman said it was a ”blessing” that no one was seriously injured by eating at the restaurant.

“You have a chance to re-open,” said Hugo to the owner at the end of the hearing.

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Also last night, the Framingham Board of Health held hearings on five other restaurants in town.

They were:

• Pho Dakao
• Ken’s Steak House
• Imperial China
• Kugel’s Deli
• Sichuan Gourmet
  

None of those restaurants were hit with a stiff of punishment as Red Pepper.

Framingham Patch will have reports on each restaurants, violations and what the Health Board recommended for changes, later today, Tuesday, Aug. 25.