Florida Restaurant Closures: Flies
Florida DBPR health inspectors have ordered 230 emergency restaurant closures for "Flies" since 2018, affecting 164 food service establishments. 8 of those establishments have been closed for this same reason more than once. Broward County leads in Flies closures; Boca Raton is the most-affected city.
Source: Florida DBPR emergency closure records. Updated weekly every Monday morning.
What Is Flies?
Flies are biological vectors for dozens of foodborne pathogens. A single fly can carry over one million bacteria externally and can transmit Salmonella, E. coli, Shigella, and Listeria to food within seconds of landing. Flies feed by vomiting digestive fluids onto food surfaces and then consuming the liquefied result — depositing bacteria directly onto whatever they contact. A fly infestation serious enough to trigger an emergency closure means food is being continuously contaminated throughout the establishment.
Under Florida law, DBPR health inspectors have the authority to order the immediate emergency closure of any food service establishment when conditions present an imminent public health risk. The establishment cannot reopen until a follow-up inspection confirms the violation has been fully corrected.
Flies vomit digestive enzymes onto food as they feed, depositing bacteria including Salmonella, E. coli, Shigella, and Listeria directly onto food surfaces.
8 of 164 affected establishments have been emergency closed for flies on more than one occasion — raising questions about whether corrective actions are fully addressing the underlying conditions.
Top Counties — Flies
| County | Closures |
|---|---|
| Broward County | 31 |
| Miami-Dade County | 27 |
| Palm Beach County | 26 |
| Pinellas County | 15 |
| Duval County | 14 |
| Hillsborough County | 11 |
| Orange County | 9 |
| Brevard County | 6 |
| Marion County | 4 |
| Bay County | 4 |
Top Cities — Flies
| City | Closures |
|---|---|
| Boca Raton | 14 |
| Jacksonville | 12 |
| Miami | 10 |
| Orlando | 9 |
| Tampa | 9 |
| West Palm Beach | 6 |
| Clearwater | 5 |
| Sunrise | 5 |
| Hialeah | 5 |
| Ocala | 4 |
Top Chains — Flies
Restaurant chains with the most emergency closures for flies.
| Chain | Closures |
|---|---|
| Dunkin | 8 |
| Popeyes | 6 |
| McDonalds | 4 |
| Checkers | 4 |
| Steak n Shake | 3 |
| Wendys | 3 |
| Burger King | 3 |
| IHOP | 2 |
| Chipotle | 2 |
| Pollo Tropical | 2 |
Flies Closures — Year Over Year
Recent Flies Closures
| Date | Business | City | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fortunato's Italian Restaurant | South Pasadena | Pinellas | |
| Whiskey Wings | St. Petersburg | Pinellas | |
| Sacred Spice Tampa Bay | Clearwater | Pinellas | |
| China Bowl | Fort Lauderdale | Broward | |
| Nori Thai Restaurant | St.pete Beach | Pinellas | |
| Jax Fish Shrimp and Chicken | Jacksonville | Duval | |
| Moe's Southwest Grill | Lakeland | Polk | |
| Dunkin Donuts #35 | Miami | Miami-Dade | |
| Steak N Shake | St. Petersburg | Pinellas | |
| Taki Omakase | Boca Raton | Palm Beach | |
| Wendys | North Miami Beach | Miami-Dade | |
| Kimi's Ice Cream and Sweets | Apollo Beach | Hillsborough | |
| Dennys Rest 9594 | Boca Raton | Palm Beach | |
| Chili Crab | Boca Raton | Palm Beach | |
| Beef O Bradys | Bartow | Polk | |
| Villagio at Boca | Boca Raton | Palm Beach | |
| Ruby Tuesday #7124 | Royal Palm Beach | Palm Beach | |
| Rancho Nando | Pembroke Pines | Broward | |
| Tikka Masalaa | Tampa | Hillsborough | |
| T Will Island Restaurant | Lauderhill | Broward |
FAQ: Flies Restaurant Closures
- Why do Florida restaurants get emergency closed for Flies?
- Flies are biological vectors for dozens of foodborne pathogens. A single fly can carry over one million bacteria externally and can transmit Salmonella, E. coli, Shigella, and Listeria to food within seconds of landing. Flies feed by vomiting digestive fluids onto food surfaces and then consuming the liquefied result — depositing bacteria directly onto whatever they contact. A fly infestation serious enough to trigger an emergency closure means food is being continuously contaminated throughout the establishment. Under Florida law, DBPR inspectors are required to order immediate emergency closure when conditions present an imminent public health threat that cannot be corrected while customers are being served.
- What diseases can Flies cause in a restaurant?
- Flies vomit digestive enzymes onto food as they feed, depositing bacteria including Salmonella, E. coli, Shigella, and Listeria directly onto food surfaces. These pathogens are responsible for the most common forms of foodborne illness in the United States — including Salmonellosis, E. coli infection, and Norovirus gastroenteritis — and can cause serious complications in children, elderly individuals, and immunocompromised customers.
- How many Florida restaurants have been closed for Flies?
- DBPR has ordered 230 emergency restaurant closures for "Flies" since 2018, affecting 164 unique food service establishments. Of those, 8 have been closed for this same reason more than once — a pattern that raises serious questions about whether the underlying conditions are being fully corrected between shutdowns.
- What does it mean when a restaurant is closed for Flies more than once?
- 8 Florida restaurants have been closed for "Flies" on more than one occasion. Repeat closures for the same reason can indicate that the root cause — whether structural, operational, or management-related — is not being fully addressed during the remediation period between closures. DBPR inspectors may impose additional penalties or pursue license revocation in cases of repeated violations.
- Which Florida county has the most Flies restaurant closures?
- Broward County has the highest documented Flies restaurant closure count in Florida. High-volume counties typically reflect their population density and the concentration of food service establishments rather than a disproportionate rate of violations per restaurant.
- How long does a Flies restaurant closure last in Florida?
- A Florida DBPR emergency closure for Flies remains in effect until a DBPR inspector conducts a callback inspection and confirms the violation has been fully corrected. Restaurants with pest-related closures typically undergo professional extermination, deep cleaning, and structural remediation before requesting a callback — a process that can take anywhere from 24 hours to several days depending on the severity of the infestation.