How many restaurants are in Hardee County?

Hardee County, Florida has 73 food establishments tracked by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).

What is the restaurant inspection pass rate in Hardee County?

The current pass rate for food establishments in Hardee County is 73.7%. The Florida state average is 86%.

How many restaurants were shut down in Hardee County this year?

1 food establishments in Hardee County have been shut down by health inspectors in 2026.

What are the most common health violations in Hardee County?

The most frequently cited violations in Hardee County are: Food contact surfaces, Proper hand/arm washing, Clean multi-use utensils.

Which restaurant chain has the most locations in Hardee County?

Hungry Howies has the most locations in Hardee County with 1 establishments.

How does Hardee County compare to the Florida state average?

Hardee County has a pass rate of 73.7%, which is 12.3 percentage points below the state average of 86%. The average violations per inspection is 6.6 compared to the state average of 4.67.

How often are restaurants inspected in Hardee County?

Food establishments in Hardee County have an average of 10.8 inspections on record. Florida DBPR conducts routine inspections based on facility type and risk level.

How much in fines have restaurants in Hardee County been assessed?

Food establishments in Hardee County have been assessed $13,480 in fines across 29 disciplinary actions. The average fine is $465 and the largest single fine was $1,040.

How many fire safety violations have been found in Hardee County restaurants?

19 fire safety violations have been documented across 11 food establishments in Hardee County. The most common issue is exit blocked or locked.

Are grocery stores and retail food stores in Hardee County inspected?

Yes. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) inspects retail food establishments — grocery stores, gas station food sections, markets, and convenience stores. Hardee County, Florida has 35 FDACS-regulated retail food facilities with 71 inspections on record.

How many FDACS stop-sale orders have been issued in Hardee County?

FDACS has issued 2 stop-sale orders at retail food establishments in Hardee County. A stop-sale order prohibits a facility from selling specific products found to be unsafe, mislabeled, or non-compliant with Florida food code.

Hardee County — Food Safety Records: DBPR & FDACS

Name: Hardee County Food Safety Inspection Records
Creator: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Overview

Hardee County, Florida has 73 food establishments with 789 inspections on record. 1 establishments were shut down this year. The pass rate is 73.7%, below the state average of 86%. Inspections average 6.6 violations per visit.

Largest fine: $800 assessed to Paleteria Mis Tesoros in Wauchula on October 29, 2025.

Data from Florida DBPR (restaurants) and FDACS (retail food). Updated May 2026.

73Facilities

789Total Inspections

1Closures 2026

73.7%Pass Rate

6.6Avg Violations

Most-Inspected Facilities

Business	City	Inspections	Violations	Closures
Smokin Joes BBQ	Bowling Green	37	297	4
Pioneer Restaurant	Zolfo Springs	35	326	2
Subway #27732	Wauchula	29	137	2
Nicholas Family Restaurant	Wauchula	32	338	1
Wauchula Family Restaurant	Wauchula	30	325	1

Hardee County Restaurants: Comparison to Florida State Averages

Hardee County 73.7% Pass Rate 73.7%

Florida Average 86% Pass Rate 86%

Hardee County 6.6 Avg Violations / Inspection 6.6

Florida Average 4.7 Avg Violations / Inspection 4.7

Hardee County 1.37 Closures per 100 Facilities 1.37

Florida Average 1.37 Closures per 100 Facilities 1.37

Hardee County Restaurants: Recent Inspections (Last 30 Days)

Date	Business	City	Violations	Result
Apr 23	Taquitos Mi Mexico	Wauchula	3	Inspection Completed - No Further Action
Apr 23	Bertha's Kitchen	Wauchula	9 (3 high)	Administrative complaint recommended
Apr 23	Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant	Wauchula	5	Inspection Completed - No Further Action

Hardee County Restaurants: Most Common Health Violations

Code	Violation	Citations
14	Food contact surfaces	13,459
08	Proper hand/arm washing	7,587
31	Clean multi-use utensils	7,580
33	Proper cooling equipment	7,358
23	Chemical properly stored	6,352

Hardee County Restaurants: Disciplinary Actions & Fines

29Actions on Record

$13,480Total Fines

$465Avg Fine

$1,040Largest Fine

14Facilities Fined

Largest Fines (Past 12 Months)

Date	Business	Fine	Case
Oct 29, 2025	Paleteria Mis Tesoros	$800	7--2025045551
Mar 25, 2026	Smokin Joes BBQ	$200	7--2026014891
Jan 12, 2026	La Michoacana Ice Cream 2	$160	7--2025089657

Hardee County Restaurants: Fire Safety Violations

19Fire Violations

11Facilities Cited

Most Common Fire Safety Issues

Issue	Citations
Exit blocked or locked	9
Fire extinguisher in red zone	6
Other fire safety violation	3
Propane tank stored inside building	1

Hardee County Retail Food: FDACS Inspection Records

In addition to restaurants, Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) inspects grocery stores, markets, gas station food sections, and other retail food establishments. Hardee County has 35 FDACS-regulated facilities with 71 inspections on record and 2 stop-sale orders issued.

35Retail Facilities

71FDACS Inspections

2Stop-Sale Orders

Hardee County FDACS: Recent Stop-Sale Orders

A stop-sale order prohibits a retail food establishment from selling specific products found to be unsafe, improperly stored, mislabeled, or non-compliant with Florida food code. Products may be embargoed, destroyed, or returned to the distributor.

Date	Facility	City	Product	Reason
Sep 26, 2025	Vw-winn-dixie-2250-372896	Wauchula	Brand Name: (Lot #:)	FS 500.04; FS 500.10 Adulterated.* Approved Source: Food in good condition, safe…
May 23, 2024	Cvs Pharmacy # 2030 Establishment #: 321118	Wauchula	—	—

Browse all FDACS stop-sale order categories →

Hardee County FDACS: Most Cited Code Violations

Code	Violation	Citations
6-501.11	Physical facilities not maintained in good repair	11
6-501.12	Physical facilities not cleaned as often as necessary to keep them clean, or cleaning	7
5-205.11	Handwashing sink not maintained so that it is accessible at all times for employee	4
2-501.11	Establishment does not have written procedures for employees to follow when	4
4-601.11(A)	Equipment food-contact surface or utensil not clean to sight and touch	4

Browse all FDACS violation codes →

Hardee County Retail Food Chains (FDACS)

Chain	Locations	Stop-Sale Orders	Citations
Dollar General	1	57	2,871
Family Dollar	1	316	950
CVS	1	9	882
Dollar Tree	1	9	1,084
Sunoco	1	256	487

All Florida retail food chains →

About FDACS Retail Food Inspections →

Hardee County: Restaurant Chains (DBPR)

Chain	Locations	Violations	Closures
Hungry Howies	1	134	0
Subway	1	137	2
Dunkin	1	167	0
Sonic Drive-in	1	176	0
Burger King	1	116	0
Pizza Hut	1	91	0
Wendys	1	108	0
McDonalds	1	98	0
Taco Bell	1	47	0

Hardee County Restaurant Inspections: FAQ

How many restaurants are in Hardee County?: Hardee County, Florida has 73 food establishments tracked by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).
What is the restaurant inspection pass rate in Hardee County?: The current pass rate for food establishments in Hardee County is 73.7%. The Florida state average is 86%.
How many restaurants were shut down in Hardee County this year?: 1 food establishments in Hardee County have been shut down by health inspectors in 2026.
What are the most common health violations in Hardee County?: The most frequently cited violations in Hardee County are: Food contact surfaces, Proper hand/arm washing, Clean multi-use utensils.
Which restaurant chain has the most locations in Hardee County?: Hungry Howies has the most locations in Hardee County with 1 establishments.
How does Hardee County compare to the Florida state average?: Hardee County has a pass rate of 73.7%, which is 12.3 percentage points below the state average of 86%. The average violations per inspection is 6.6 compared to the state average of 4.67.
How often are restaurants inspected in Hardee County?: Food establishments in Hardee County have an average of 10.8 inspections on record. Florida DBPR conducts routine inspections based on facility type and risk level.
How much in fines have restaurants in Hardee County been assessed?: Food establishments in Hardee County have been assessed $13,480 in fines across 29 disciplinary actions. The average fine is $465 and the largest single fine was $1,040.
How many fire safety violations have been found in Hardee County restaurants?: 19 fire safety violations have been documented across 11 food establishments in Hardee County. The most common issue is exit blocked or locked.
Are grocery stores and retail food stores in Hardee County inspected?: Yes. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) inspects retail food establishments — grocery stores, gas station food sections, markets, and convenience stores. Hardee County, Florida has 35 FDACS-regulated retail food facilities with 71 inspections on record.
How many FDACS stop-sale orders have been issued in Hardee County?: FDACS has issued 2 stop-sale orders at retail food establishments in Hardee County. A stop-sale order prohibits a facility from selling specific products found to be unsafe, mislabeled, or non-compliant with Florida food code.

Hardee County Restaurants & Food Establishments (73)

Cvs Pharmacy # 2030 FDACS Retail

301 S 6th Ave, Wauchula

FDACS Retail Food · Minor Outlet with Perishables

Speedway # 6587 FDACS Retail

101 W Oak ST, Wauchula

FDACS Retail Food · Convenience Store Significant FS AND/OR Packaged Ice

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