Mice at the mall
Which Town Center restaurants have the “rodent problem” mentioned in Tuesday’s Gazette? The answer is: Bennigan’s and Sakkio Japan, the food-court restaurant that’s always offering toothpick samples on passersby.
In a Jan. 26 exam, Kanawha-Charleston Health Department inspector Randy Newman wrote up Bennigan’s after finding mouse droppings, according to Newman’s report. The restaurant was given 30 days to correct the problem. That presumably means that Newman will be returning any day now to make sure.
Newman was also the inspector who discovered mouse droppings at Sakkio Japan, during an inspection on Feb. 5. He also put management on notice for a return visit within 30 days.
Health Department chief Kerry Gately and Town Center officials were a little vague in discussing the situation with Gazette reporter Davin White. Somewhat ominously, Gately said the problem affects more than “one particular store [or] one particular restaurant.” By that, we now know, he meant it affects… two restaurants.
They’re not the only county food service operations afflicted with mice, according to the health department. Inspector David Winowich wrote up the South Charleston Middle School cafeteria for mouse droppings in a Feb. 8 checkup.
Meanwhile, the worst inspection grade so far this year goes Hooter’s in Kanawha City, where Winowich reported five critical violations on Jan. 26, including an “oyster splitter in bad repair” and warm temperatures in two coolers. Hooter’s also racked up 11 non-critical violations.
– By Joe Morris, Charleston Gazett staff writer
