Employee Touches Face, Hair Then Serves Food Without Washing

A San Francisco health inspector witnessed an employee at The Pomeroy Center touch their face and adjust their hair net before resuming food service without removing their gloves or washing their hands, leading to the facility's immediate closure this week. The violation, which directly contradicts fundamental food safety protocols, was among the most egregious personal hygiene breaches discovered during a week that saw 14 restaurant closures and 19 failed inspections across the city.

The incident at The Pomeroy Center represents a critical breakdown in basic food handling procedures that protect customers from contamination. While the employee did eventually wash their hands after inspector intervention, the violation demonstrates a concerning lack of training or awareness about cross-contamination risks. The facility was also cited for failing to maintain proper sanitizing solutions during food preparation.

Restaurant Closures

The week of August 18-24 proved particularly challenging for San Francisco's food service industry, with 14 establishments forced to close their doors due to critical health violations. Among the most disturbing findings were rodent droppings, inoperable handwashing stations, and food stored in bathrooms.

Chevron Stations Inc shocked inspectors when they discovered food items and a microwave stored directly in the bathroom, with drinks placed on the handwashing sink ledge. The facility's handwashing sink provided water at only 69°F, far below the required 100°F minimum, creating an environment where proper hand hygiene was impossible.

Sweet Mango Dessert & Cafe presented multiple hazards, including dead insects, food debris, and what appeared to be rodent droppings on floors behind food preparation shelves. The establishment lacked both valid food safety manager certification and food handler cards, suggesting a complete absence of food safety oversight.

The Sherwood faced closure after inspectors discovered both mouse and rat droppings throughout the facility, including on storage shelves in the upstairs area. The three-compartment sink reached only 107°F, well below the 120°F requirement for proper sanitization, meaning dishes could not be adequately cleaned.

Deja Vu Pizza & Pasta was shuttered after inspectors found approximately five rodent droppings near the water heater and beneath the upright cooler, indicating an active infestation. The facility also had missing grout and cracked floor tiles that could harbor bacteria and pests.

Most Serious Violations

Beyond the closures, inspectors documented violations that ranged from temperature abuse to cross-contamination risks. Ezzo Rotisserie stored raw chicken directly next to raw onions and chopped lettuce in the prep top, creating a significant risk of salmonella contamination. Food particles and residue were also found in the hand sink basin, indicating staff were dumping food waste where they should be washing their hands.

Lincoln Park Bar & Grill operated with an inoperable handwashing sink in the front bar area, making it impossible for bartenders to maintain proper hand hygiene. Inspectors also discovered frozen raw steak stored on a top shelf directly above ready-to-eat foods, violating basic food storage hierarchy rules.

Chase Luck Bakery provided only bar soap for employee handwashing, which can harbor bacteria from multiple users. The employee bathroom sink was blocked by items soaking in water, and no liquid soap was available, creating conditions where proper handwashing was virtually impossible.

Noahs New York Bagels #2113 stored an employee's lunch bag in direct contact with raw shelled eggs in the walk-in cooler, demonstrating a fundamental misunderstanding of contamination risks. Boxes of food sat directly on the freezer floor, and dust accumulated on security camera wiring above the prep cooler.

Tsing Tao Restaurant left egg mixtures and noodles at room temperature without time or temperature controls, with readings ranging from 46-61°F, well within the danger zone for bacterial growth. Staff also failed to use proper three-step washing methods or the dishwasher before hanging utensils for use.

Conditional Passes

Ten establishments received conditional passes, allowing them to remain open while addressing significant violations. Fish and Farm and Osha Thai Restaurant & Bar both managed to stay operational despite violations that required immediate attention.

SF Hilton Main Kitchen received a conditional pass but faced scrutiny for violations in their large-scale food operation. Safeway Inc #909 also received conditional approval despite issues that needed correction in their grocery deli and prepared foods sections.

Ladle & Leaf and Bon Appetit @ Uber both remained open under conditional terms, requiring them to address specific health code violations while continuing service. These facilities must demonstrate compliance during follow-up inspections.

Temperature and Sanitization Failures

Temperature control emerged as a widespread problem across multiple establishments. Naser Mini Mart recorded refrigerator temperatures at 49°F, eight degrees above the safe threshold, allegedly because a customer left the door open. However, proper equipment should maintain temperature even with brief door openings.

Pizza Joint operated a sandwich prep refrigerator with temperatures ranging from 46°F to 58°F, with ice buildup indicating equipment failure. The facility also failed to label pizzas and sandwiches with discard times, making it impossible to track food safety.

Sanitization failures proved equally concerning. SOHUNAN operated a dishwashing machine dispensing 0 ppm chlorine during the sanitize cycle, meaning dishes received no sanitization whatsoever. The facility also provided only 84°F water at the upstairs restroom handwashing sink.

Happy Donuts had no sanitizer buckets available during inspection, and a cutting board was stored in the handwashing sink, blocking its use. Super Duper had no measurable sanitizer concentration in any buckets and stored wiping cloths in the sink rather than sanitizer solution.

Pest Control Issues

Rodent activity appeared in numerous establishments beyond those closed. KUSAKABE had old rodent droppings and debris behind the oven and under the front sushi station, though they provided pest control invoices from recent months.

Super Duper discovered old rodent droppings underneath storage racks in the cleaning supply area. While classified as "old," any rodent evidence indicates ongoing vulnerability to infestation.

Golden Bear failed to elevate food six inches off the ground and had exposed wiring on the ceiling that could attract and harbor pests. Carls Jr had accumulated debris behind the cook line and holes in walls and ceilings that could serve as pest entry points.

Results by District

The Tenderloin district led the city with 21 total inspections, resulting in 7 conditional passes and 14 full passes, suggesting relatively better compliance despite the neighborhood's challenges. However, several of the week's most serious violations occurred in Tenderloin establishments.

SOMA followed with 17 inspections, yielding 6 conditional passes and 11 full passes. The district's mix of restaurants, bars, and food halls presented varied challenges for health inspectors, from temperature control in older buildings to pest control in historic structures.

Mission Bay's 9 inspections resulted in 3 conditional passes and 6 full passes, reflecting the newer construction and modern kitchen facilities in this developing neighborhood. The Financial District's even split of 4 conditional and 4 full passes among 8 inspections highlighted ongoing challenges in high-rent spaces where restaurants may defer maintenance.

The Outer Richmond showed the best performance with only 1 conditional pass among 6 inspections, with 5 establishments passing full inspection. This residential neighborhood's family-run restaurants demonstrated stronger compliance with health codes.

Systemic Training Failures

A troubling pattern emerged regarding food safety certification. Multiple establishments operated without valid food safety manager certificates or food handler cards, including Sweet Mango Dessert & Cafe, Tsing Tao Restaurant, and Lincoln Park Bar & Grill.

This certification gap suggests many establishments operate without anyone on staff who understands critical food safety principles. The absence of trained personnel increases risks of temperature abuse, cross-contamination, and improper sanitization procedures.

Infrastructure and Maintenance

Failing equipment and deferred maintenance contributed to numerous violations. Water heaters unable to reach required temperatures, refrigerators failing to maintain safe cold-holding temperatures, and dishwashers dispensing no sanitizer all point to infrastructure neglect.

The Sherwood exemplified this problem with both temperature failures and pest infestation, suggesting long-term neglect of basic facility maintenance. Cracked floors, torn gaskets, and unsealed gaps provide harboring areas for pests and bacteria.

Weekly Overview

The week's 115 total inspections revealed systemic challenges in San Francisco's food service industry. With 19 failures and 14 immediate closures, the failure rate exceeded 16%, far above acceptable levels for public health protection.

The 32 conditional passes represent establishments teetering on the edge of closure, requiring immediate corrective action to remain operational. While 64 establishments passed inspection, the high number of serious violations suggests widespread training and infrastructure deficits.

No restaurants reopened during this period, indicating either lengthy remediation processes or permanent closures. This absence of reopenings while closures mounted suggests an accumulation of troubled establishments unable to meet basic health standards.

The violations documented this week - from employees failing to wash hands after touching their faces to food stored in bathrooms - represent fundamental breakdowns in food safety protocols. These aren't complex regulatory requirements but basic practices that should be second nature to anyone handling food professionally.

Moving forward, San Francisco's restaurant industry must address these systemic failures through improved training, regular equipment maintenance, and a renewed commitment to food safety. The alternative is continued closures, failed inspections, and most critically, increased risk to public health.

The Department of Public Health continues weekly inspections across all San Francisco neighborhoods. Restaurant operators should ensure all staff maintain current food handler cards, designate a certified food safety manager for each shift, and conduct daily temperature and sanitization checks. Only through vigilant attention to these basics can the industry reverse this troubling trend of violations and closures.

Author: Staff Reporter SF Restaurant Inspections