Surprise restaurant inspections are back in Tri-Cities. Plus, the latest results

The Benton Franklin Health District has ramped up its routine inspections of restaurants and other food establishments as staff demands related to the COVID-19 pandemic have eased.

“Staff are getting back out into the community, doing the restaurant inspections, doing that preventative food safety work,” said Lars Richins, food safety program supervisor for the Tri-Cities based health district.

Pre-pandemic the health district was inspecting 1,300 establishments and some of those, like grocery stores, might have separate inspections for the meat department, deli and bakery, for a total of about 1,600 separate inspections conducted as often as twice a year.

Routine inspections were usually done about every six months. But some businesses considered lower risk for food safety issues, such as coffee stands and gas station convenience stores, may only be inspected once a year.

During much of the pandemic the health district stopped routine surprise inspections and instead switched to scheduled online consultations with restaurants and other establishments serving food.

The virtual consultations during much of 2020 and 2021 were used as a way for district staff to support businesses in reducing risks within their facilities.

Over the past year the district has worked to rebuild its routine inspection program, with occasional setbacks during new surges of COVID-19 cases.

Many of the staff members who previously had done onsite inspections had been pulled into new roles during the pandemic, such as working with businesses that had COVID-19 outbreaks and tracing the contacts of people sickened with COVID to alert people they might have infected.

Now four of the food safety inspection staff have permanently moved into new positions.

The health district has worked to recruit and train new staff.

As it rebuilt the program, it focused on reviewing plans for new establishments, including the scope of their menus and their operational plans, such as their programs for training and monitoring for food safety risks. It also has prioritized inspections for temporary or one-time public events serving food.

Inspection results are posted online so residents can look up the status of individual restaurants.

Go to bit.ly/BFHDinspections. Click on the business name and then on the date of the inspection on the right half of the next page. Look for the “Violations” tab.

Inspection standards

During inspections conducted the fourth week of November in Benton and Franklin counties, 14 businesses and school food services received perfect scores.

Seven businesses required followup inspections.

In the district’s routine inspections, businesses or organizations that receive 35 points for the more serious red violations are required to have additional inspections and must meet a tougher standard on those.

They must have fewer than 25 red points and a limited number of repeat problems to pass followup inspections.

Red points are given for practices that are the most likely to infect someone with a food-borne illness. They include not keeping food at temperatures to prevent bacteria growth or employees handling ready-to-eat food with bare hands.

Call 509-460-4205 with questions or concerns.

Failed inspections

Amarilis Meat Market II (Meat), 1088/1086 George Washington Way, Richland, Routine, Nov. 21 (35 Red, 5 Blue)

Notes: Improper hand washing, inadequate hand washing facilities

Hooked Seafood Boil & Bar, 8108 W. Gage Blvd., Kennewick, Follow-up Nov. 21 (30 Red, 0 Blue)

Notes: Inadequate hand washing facilities, improper cold holding, lacking proper consumer advisory.

Kennewick Nutrition, 155 N. Ely St., Kennewick, Re-inspection Nov. 23 (45 Red, 0 Blue)

Notes: Food worker cards not 100%, improper hand washing, inadequate hand washing facilities, raw meat improperly stored.

La Cocina, 720 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, Routine Nov. 22 (70 Red, 3 Blue)

Notes: Lack of active managerial control, food worker cards not 100%, inadequate hand washing facilities, improper cooling procedures, improper hot holding.

Magill’s Restaurant, 3214 Road 68, Pasco, Routine Nov. 22 (40 Red, 5 Blue)

Notes: Food worker cards not 100%, improper cold and hot holding.

Subway, 210 Merlot Drive, Prosser, Routine Nov. 23 (40 Red, 0 Blue)

Notes: Food worker cards not 100%, improper hand washing, inadequate hand washing facilities.

Tap and Barrel, 112 Keene Road, Richland, Follow-up Nov. 21 (25 Red, 0 Blue)

Notes: Improper hot holding.

Passed inspections

Amarilis Meat Market II (Grocery), 1088/1086 George Washington Way Richland, Routine, Nov. 21 (5 Red, 10 Blue)

Ara Sushi & Grill, 430 George Washington Way, Richland, Routine, Nov. 21 (15 Red, 0 Blue)

Big Lots (Store), 3019 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick, Routine, Nov. 23 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Bombshelter/Up & Atom, 930 Long Ave., Richland, Routine Nov. 21 (10 Red, 0 Blue)

Bonefish Grill, 133 Gage Blvd., Richland, Follow-up Nov. 21 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Carmichael Middle School, 620 Thayer Drive, Richland, Routine Nov. 21 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Chinook Middle School, 4891 W. 27th Ave., Kennewick, Routine Nov. 22 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Connell Child Development Center, 600 E. Adams St., Connell, Routine Nov. 22 (10 Red, 0 Blue)

Connell Elementary School, 1001 W. Clark St., Connell, Routine Nov. 22 (5 Red, 0 Blue)

Connell High School, 1100 W. Clark St., Connell, Routine Nov. 22 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Delta High School, 5801 Broadmoor Blvd., Pasco, Routine Nov. 21 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Dollar Tree (Store), 3017 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick, Routine Nov. 23 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

El Antojito Mexicano Restaurant, 1915 W Court St., Pasco, Routine Nov. 21 (30 Red, 3 Blue)

Golden Horse Restaurant, 108 Merlot Drive, Prosser, Routine Nov. 23 (10 Red, 8 Blue)

Golden Wok, 5024 N. Road 68, Pasco, Routine, Nov. 23 (20 Red, 10 Blue)

Grand Central Coffee Station (Restaurant), 2205 W. Court St., Pasco, Routine Nov. 21 (5 Red, 0 Blue)

Grand Central Coffee Station (Store), 2205 W. Court St., Routine Nov. 21 (5 Red, 0 Blue)

Grocery Outlet (Store), 1325 W. 4th Ave., Kennewick, Routine Nov. 19 (0 Red, 5 Blue)

Headstart/Sunset Ridge, 6215 Burden Blvd., Pasco, Routine Nov. 21 (10 Red, 0 Blue)

Holiday Inn Express, 4525 Convention Place, Pasco, Routine Nov. 22 (25 Red, 0 Blue)

Horse Heaven Middle School, 3500 S. Vancouver St., Kennewick, Routine Nov. 22 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Jimmy John’s, 3107 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick, Routine Nov. 23 (10 Red, 0 Blue)

Kingspoint Christian School, 7900 W. Court St., Pasco, Routine Nov. 21 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

La Cocina (Kiosk), 720 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, Routine Nov. 11 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Lincoln Elementary School, 4901 W. 21st Ave., Kennewick, Routine Nov. 22 (0 Red, 5 Blue)

Little Caesar’s, 1935 W. Court St., Pasco, Routine Nov. 21 (5 Red, 0 Blue)

Maya Angelou Elementary School, 6001 Road 84, Pasco, Routine Nov. 21 (5 Red, 0 Blue)

Monarca Ice Cream, 1830 W. Court St., Pasco, Routine Nov. 21 (25 Red, 0 Blue)

Palouse Junction Alternative School, 110 N. Chelan Ave., Connell, Routine Nov. 22 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Quick Stop Market & Smoke Shop (Grocery), 1931 W. Court St., Pasco, Routine Nov. 21 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Richland High School, 930 Long Ave., Richland, Routine Nov. 21 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Robert Olds Junior High School, 1051 W. Clark St., Connell, Routine Nov. 22 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Super Mex El Pueblo Market (Bakery), 720 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, Routine Nov. 22 (10 Red, 5 Blue)

Super Mex El Pueblo Market (Meat), 720 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, Routine Nov. 22 (0 Red, 5 Blue)

Super Mex El Pueblo Market (Store), 720 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, Routine Nov. 22 (10 Red, 0 Blue)

The Coffee Crush, 6615 Chapel Hill Blvd., Pasco, Routine Nov. 22 (15 Red, 5 Blue)

Wendy’s, 5706 Road 68, Pasco, Routine Nov. 22 (5 Red, 0 Blue)