Vermin infestations lead to five Contra Costa facility closures

The Contra Costa County Health Services Department closed five food facilities, including at a supermarket, hotel and kids indoor play center, last week because of vermin infestations. Four of the five facilities have reopened as of Sunday, according to county and store officials. The Lunardi’s Supermarket at 345 Railroad Ave. in Danville was among the closed facilities reported on the health department’s environmental health division website of food facility closures. The vermin infestation was reported Friday, and the store reopened Saturday morning, store manager Brett Cooper said.

The county report did not detail the specific violations, but Cooper said the issue stemmed from rodent droppings that were found inside the store. He said the store was closed around 1 p.m. Friday and reopened the following morning after health inspectors re-evaluated it.

“Everything was resolved quickly,” he said Sunday morning. “There are no current issues whatsoever.”

The Jungle children’s play center at 1975 Diamond Blvd. in Concord was closed Tuesday after health inspectors found two dead rodents in traps in the kitchen, along with rodent droppings. It reopened on Friday after the major violations had been resolved, according to the county website. Also Tuesday, the Burger King at 2440 Mahogany Way in Antioch was closed because of a cockroach infestation after three live cockroaches were found behind and under the water heater. It reopened the following day after a re-inspection.

On Monday, inspectors closed the Hilton Concord’s food facility at 1970 Diamond Blvd. after one fresh dead rodent and one live rodent were found in traps inside the utensil storage room. In addition, rodent droppings were spotted inside the oven at the service cook line, underneath a shelf that stored aprons and on the floor near the employee locker and employee restroom. It reopened the Tuesday after health officials re-inspected the facility.

Representatives from The Jungle, Burger King and Hilton could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Vietnamese restaurant Pho Le, located at 41 Sand Creek Road in Brentwood, was also closed Tuesday for vermin infestation. There was no indication on the food facility closures website that it had reopened as of Sunday, and a call to the restaurant on Sunday went unanswered. No details of the infestations were provided on the website.

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