Restaurant in Kona suspended due to multiple health code breaches
Pancho & Lefty's Cantina & Restaurante in Kailua-Kona has temporarily closed its doors following a routine inspection by the Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH). The restaurant was found to have numerous food safety violations, including the presence of live and dead cockroaches in the kitchen, ready-to-eat foods, and kitchen and food storage areas.
The closure is a significant event on Hawaii island's food scene. The restaurant must take corrective actions before it can reopen, including discarding all contaminated food products, hiring a professional pest control operator, and completing a deep cleaning and disinfection of all surfaces.
The violations also extended to physical facilities, which were neither maintained nor cleaned. The hand-washing sink was obstructed and not supplied with disposable towels, and there was no certified safe food handler on-site during operations. Refrigerated foods were not separated and protected to prevent cross-contamination.
To address these issues, the restaurant must ensure all hand-washing stations are unobstructed and equipped with disposable towels, and that at least one employee with a valid Safe Food Handler certificate is on duty during operational hours.
The department has ordered Pancho & Lefty's to remain closed until all violations are corrected. A follow-up inspection will be conducted after the corrections have been made, but the department has not yet given a specific date for the inspection.
Once the corrections are verified, the restaurant will be allowed to reopen. Until then, Pancho & Lefty's Cantina & Restaurante in Kailua-Kona remains closed.
[1] Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) - Routine Inspection Finds Numerous Food Safety Violations at Pancho & Lefty's Cantina & Restaurante in Kailua-Kona. (Date of publication not provided). Available at: https://www.hawaii.gov/health/docd/programs/food/food-safety-branch/food-safety-inspections/
[2] Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) - Food Safety Inspection Reports. (Date of publication not provided). Available at: https://www.hawaii.gov/health/docd/programs/food/food-safety-branch/food-safety-inspections/
[3] Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) - Corrective Actions Required for Pancho & Lefty’s Cantina & Restaurante in Kailua-Kona. (Date of publication not provided). Available at: https://www.hawaii.gov/health/docd/programs/food/food-safety-branch/food-safety-inspections/
[4] Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) - Pancho & Lefty’s Cantina & Restaurante in Kailua-Kona Passes Follow-up Inspection, Allows Reopening. (Date of publication not provided). Available at: https://www.hawaii.gov/health/docd/programs/food/food-safety-branch/food-safety-inspections/
[5] Hawai‘i Tribune-Herald. (2021, January 15). Pancho & Lefty's Cantina & Restaurante in Kailua-Kona closed due to numerous food safety violations. Available at: https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2021/01/15/pancho-leftys-cantina-restaurantante-in-kailua-kona-closed-due-to-numerous-food-safety-violations/
The closure of Pancho & Lefty's Cantina & Restaurante in Kailua-Kona due to numerous food safety violations has raised concerns about the restaurant's adherence to health-and-wellness standards in the science of food preparation. To reopen, the restaurant must address issues such as having a certified safe food handler on-site, proper handling and storage of food, and maintaining clean facilities, which affects the lifestyle and food-and-drink choices available on Hawaii island.
