Florida Restaurant Closures: No Water
Florida DBPR health inspectors have ordered 215 emergency restaurant closures for "No water" since 2015, affecting 37 food service establishments. 1 of those establishments have been closed for this same reason more than once. Miami-Dade County leads in No water closures; Orlando is the most-affected city.
Source: Florida DBPR emergency closure records. Updated weekly every Monday morning.
What Is No Water?
Without a functioning water supply, a food service establishment cannot safely operate under any circumstances. Employees cannot wash hands after handling raw meat, using the restroom, or touching contaminated surfaces. Equipment cannot be cleaned or sanitized. Temperature control for hot foods depends on water. The absence of water in a food service environment creates an immediate and cascading breakdown of every critical food safety control.
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.
Without water, hand hygiene, cleaning, and sanitization protocols collapse entirely — creating unchecked pathogen transfer from raw proteins, surfaces, and employees to finished food.
1 of 37 affected establishments have been emergency closed for no water on more than one occasion — raising questions about whether corrective actions are fully addressing the underlying conditions.
Top Counties — No Water
| County | Closures |
|---|---|
| Miami-Dade County | 6 |
| Orange County | 5 |
| Broward County | 4 |
| Duval County | 3 |
| Osceola County | 2 |
| Polk County | 2 |
| Pasco County | 2 |
| Seminole County | 2 |
| Okaloosa County | 1 |
| St. Johns County | 1 |
Top Cities — No Water
| City | Closures |
|---|---|
| Orlando | 5 |
| Miami | 4 |
| Casselberry | 2 |
| Kissimmee | 2 |
| Jacksonville | 2 |
| New Port Richey | 1 |
| Cape Canaveral | 1 |
| Naples | 1 |
| North Lauderdale | 1 |
| Destin | 1 |
Top Chains — No Water
Restaurant chains with the most emergency closures for no water.
| Chain | Closures |
|---|---|
| McDonalds | 2 |
| Holiday Inn | 1 |
| Popeyes | 1 |
| Taco Bell | 1 |
| Wendys | 1 |
| Burger King | 1 |
| Subway | 1 |
| Panera Bread | 1 |
No Water Closures — Year Over Year
Recent No Water Closures
| Date | Business | City | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wendy's | Sarasota | Sarasota | |
| Hondumex Taqueria | Lakeland | Polk | |
| One Love Caribbean Fusion & Seafood LLC | Port St Lucie | St. Lucie | |
| Sassy Spoon | Cape Canaveral | Brevard | |
| Palacio Chino | Orlando | Orange | |
| Ave Maria Restaurant and Lounge | Casselberry | Seminole | |
| Red Fish Taco | Santa Rosa Beach | Walton | |
| Wingnow | Clearwater | Pinellas | |
| Manje Creole Restaurant | Orlando | Orange | |
| Fantasy Island | Winter Haven | Polk | |
| Subway 27086 | Pace | Santa Rosa | |
| Cafeteria Lesley | Miami | Miami-Dade | |
| Franks Restaurant | Hudson | Pasco | |
| McDonald's #7209 | New Port Richey | Pasco | |
| Fishheads | Destin | Okaloosa | |
| Emmy Squared Pizza | Coral Gables | Miami-Dade | |
| El Platoneeka INC | Miami | Miami-Dade | |
| Cafe Seasons | Parkland | Broward | |
| Hook's Fish and Chicken 2 | North Lauderdale | Broward | |
| Nikki Pizza | Miami | Miami-Dade |
FAQ: No Water Restaurant Closures
- Why do Florida restaurants get emergency closed for No water?
- Without a functioning water supply, a food service establishment cannot safely operate under any circumstances. Employees cannot wash hands after handling raw meat, using the restroom, or touching contaminated surfaces. Equipment cannot be cleaned or sanitized. Temperature control for hot foods depends on water. The absence of water in a food service environment creates an immediate and cascading breakdown of every critical food safety control. 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 No water cause in a restaurant?
- Without water, hand hygiene, cleaning, and sanitization protocols collapse entirely — creating unchecked pathogen transfer from raw proteins, surfaces, and employees to finished food. 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 No water?
- DBPR has ordered 215 emergency restaurant closures for "No water" since 2015, affecting 37 unique food service establishments. Of those, 1 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 No water more than once?
- 1 Florida restaurants have been closed for "No water" 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 No water restaurant closures?
- Miami-Dade County has the highest documented No water 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 No water restaurant closure last in Florida?
- A Florida DBPR emergency closure for No water 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.