The Hong Kong Buffet, located at 1020 E. Main St., is closed due to multiple violations found during a Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture inspection conducted Wednesday.

“The department did close down the Hong Kong Buffet in Bradford (Wednesday),” Shannon Powers, press secretary for the department, said. “We can only close a restaurant down when there is an imminent risk to human health. That can be anything from no hot water to rodent infestations. The restaurant will have to correct the issues noted and pass a re-inspection in order to reopen.”

The manager of the restaurant, Michael Chen, who answered the phone Thursday, explained that the staff is at work cleaning and addressing the violations.

“We are cleaning now, and the Health Department will come and double-check,” he said.

When asked if they had a time frame for re-opening, he said that would depend on when a follow-up inspection could be scheduled.

According to the inspection report by the department’s Charles Cole, the restaurant had seven risk factors and five repeat risk factors. The reason for the inspection was given as a response to a complaint received.

During the inspection, Cole found the following violation, Code 501.111, which Cole explained as “Food facility inspection indicates evidence of insect activity. Over twenty dead cockroaches observed in kitchen and in cabinets under buffet. Reports for pest control from Terminex from 6-4, 7-11, 7-31, 8-14 all indicate finding live cockroaches throughout facility.”

The remainder of the violations listed on the complaint, a total of 12, were as follows:

Food storage concerns

Code 501.16 (A2) (B), which, according to Cole, “Two cases of eggs held at 76°F, on a shelf at room temp, rather than 45°F or below as required. Egg disposed.”

Code 501.16 (A1), “Lemon chicken was held at 120°F, in the buffet line, rather than 135°F or above as required.”

Code 601.11(A), “The interior of the ice machine, a food contact surface, was observed to have black residue and was not clean to sight and touch.”

Code 501.11, “Several freezers have a heavy frost build up, with frost building up directly on pans of food within units.”

Code 501.17, “Refrigerated ready-to-eat, time / temperature control for safety food prepared in the food facility and held for more than 24 hours (cooked noodles, egg rolls, cooked chicken, ready to eat salads), located within the walk-in cooler, not being date marked.”

Code 302.11, “In the walk in cooler: -pans of raw chicken stored over pans of raw pork on the shelf -a bag of raw chicken stored directly on onions -raw fish and shrimp stored over pastry items In the cooler at the grill raw eggs stored over ready to eat foods.”

Kitchen organization/cleanliness

Code 602.13, “Entire kitchen in need of a thorough cleaning. Equipment needs to be moved and cleaned underneath. Walls, floors, and corners need cleaned. Items on shelves and in cabinets need to be moved for cleaning. The grill and hood need cleaned.”

Code 304.14, “Observed wet wiping cloths in the dining room not being stored in sanitizer solution.”

Code 903.11 (A-B)(D), “Observed clean drinking cups stored wet in a manner that does not allow for draining and/or air drying (wet nesting).”

Code 205.11, “Hand wash sink was blocked by a dust pan. Facility has installed a shelf directly over the hand wash sink, making hand washing difficult, needs removed.”

Management

Code 102.11(A-C1)(C4-16), “The Person in Charge does not have adequate knowledge of food safety in this food facility as evidenced by this non-compliant inspection.”

On Feb. 5, the restaurant was inspected for its regular annual visit and found to be out of compliance, with 18 violations. A follow-up inspection on Feb. 13 found nine violations, which kept the restaurant out of compliance. Meanwhile, a follow-up inspection on Feb. 26, found the restaurant in compliance, with no violations.

A look at the state Department of Agriculture’s inspection logs found other businesses in the area had been found in violation during inspections as well.

Per the Department of Agriculture website, so far in 2019:

• Perkins Restaurant, now closed due to owner bankruptcy and a lack of interest in the Bradford location by potential buyers, was found to have one violation during an inspection related to a complaint in mid-February and was found to have 15 violations during a regular inspection in mid-April. A followup inspection at the end of April found the restaurant to be in compliance but with one violation.

• The Econo-Lodge was found to have one violation during a follow-up inspection in early January, related to a regular inspection conducted in December when five violations were found. A follow-up inspection toward the end of January found the business to be in compliance once again — with no violations.

• The Pennhills Club has had a regular inspection at the end of April, when 15 violations were found; a follow-up inspection in which six violations were found in May; and a Type 2 follow-up in June, where six violations were found. A Type 3 follow-up inspection in late June found the location to be in compliance, although there was one violation found at that time as well.