FLORIDA. A KFC on Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville drew six high-severity violations in a single inspection this summer, among the most serious findings in a statewide review of the chain that turned up improperly stored toxic chemicals, uncleaned food contact surfaces, and employees failing to report illness symptoms at locations from Tampa to Palm Harbor to Groveland.
The review covers inspections at Florida KFC locations between June 18 and September 15, 2026. Of the chain's 238 Florida locations, inspectors logged an average of 4.71 violations per inspection over the full record, with a pass rate of 89.92 percent. Two locations have been emergency-closed this year.
The Worst of the Summer
The KFC at 10770 Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville accumulated six high-severity violations in a single visit. Inspectors cited the location for an employee failing to report illness symptoms, a finding that places it in the category of violations most directly linked to multi-victim outbreaks. The same inspection flagged inadequate shell stock identification records, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. Three intermediate violations accompanied those findings, including improper sewage or wastewater disposal and multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
The KFC at 14405 Monte Vista Road in Groveland matched that high-severity count, also drawing six. Inspectors there found food in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated; shellfish traceability failures; improperly cleaned food contact surfaces; time as a public health control not properly used; no consumer advisory; and toxic chemicals improperly stored. The location also drew citations for improper sewage disposal and improper sanitizing solution or procedures.
The KFC at 1146 Dunn Avenue in Jacksonville drew five high-severity violations, including no written employee health policy, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, and two separate chemical storage failures: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Inspectors also noted inadequate ventilation and lighting, improper use of wiping cloths, and equipment in poor repair.
The KFC at 8201 Florida Avenue in Tampa also drew five high-severity violations. Among them: improper hand and arm washing technique, food in poor condition or adulterated, no consumer advisory, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and required procedures for specialized processes not followed. Equipment in poor repair was noted as well.
The KFC/Taco Bell at 1809 US Highway 1 in Sebastian drew four high-severity citations, including improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, and two separate chemical storage violations. A ventilation and lighting deficiency rounded out the inspection.
The KFC at 33420 US Highway 19 North in Palm Harbor drew four high-severity violations, including parasite destruction procedures not followed, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Inspectors also cited the location for improper sewage disposal and inadequate ventilation.
The KFC at 956 Patricia Avenue in Dunedin drew four high-severity violations: inadequate shell stock identification records, parasite destruction procedures not followed, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and no consumer advisory. Inadequate ventilation was noted as an intermediate violation.
The KFC at 17 Blanding Boulevard in Orange Park drew one high-severity violation, for required procedures for specialized processes not followed, along with citations for single-use items improperly reused and inadequate ventilation.
The KFC/Taco Bell at 5367 Ehrlich Road in Tampa drew a single high-severity violation, for no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
The KFC at 11975 SW 152nd Street in Miami drew one high-severity violation for toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used, and one intermediate for inadequate ventilation.
What These Violations Mean
The most frequently cited high-severity violation across these KFC locations this summer was the absence of a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, appearing at seven of the ten locations reviewed. At a fried chicken chain, that citation is not about steak tartare. It signals that inspectors found menu items or preparation methods that require disclosure to customers who may be at elevated risk, including pregnant women, elderly diners, and people with compromised immune systems, and that no such disclosure was posted.
The chemical storage violations at six locations, including both Jacksonville locations, Groveland, Sebastian, Palm Harbor, and Tampa on Florida Avenue, carry a more immediate danger. Improperly stored or unlabeled chemicals near food preparation areas can cause acute poisoning through direct contamination. Mislabeled containers mean staff may not recognize what they are handling. The Dunn Avenue Jacksonville location drew two separate chemical-related citations in the same inspection.
The employee illness failures at the Beach Boulevard Jacksonville location represent the single most acute outbreak risk documented this summer. Food workers who do not report illness symptoms are the primary transmission route for norovirus, which causes an estimated 20 million cases of foodborne illness annually in the United States. A written health policy, cited as absent at the Dunn Avenue Jacksonville location, is the mechanism that is supposed to prevent a sick employee from reaching the food line.
Parasite destruction failures at the Beach Boulevard Jacksonville location, the Palm Harbor location, and the Dunedin location indicate that required freezing or cooking protocols for certain fish or meat products were not being followed. Without those steps, parasites including Anisakis in fish and Trichinella in pork can survive and infect customers. These are not paperwork violations. They reflect a gap in the actual handling of food before it reaches a plate.
The Longer Record
Florida KFC locations collectively carry 5,581 inspections on record across 238 locations, a history deep enough to reveal which facilities have been cycling through citations for years and which are newer problem spots. The statewide record averages 4.71 violations per inspection, a baseline that makes the summer's worst locations stand out sharply.
The two Jacksonville locations on Beach Boulevard and Dunn Avenue both sit within the same metro market and both drew five or more high-severity violations in this review period. The Beach Boulevard location's combination of illness reporting failures, shellfish traceability gaps, and chemical storage problems in a single inspection is a profile that suggests systemic gaps rather than isolated oversights.
The Groveland location on Monte Vista Road drew ten total violations, the highest combined count in this review, including citations for food in poor condition and time as a public health control not properly used. That last violation is particularly significant: when a facility opts to use time rather than temperature to keep food safe, it must follow a precise written plan. The citation means that plan either did not exist or was not being followed.
The Palm Harbor and Dunedin locations, both in Pinellas County, drew parasite destruction failures and shellfish traceability citations in the same inspection cycle. Two locations in the same county, flagged for the same category of food safety failure within the same 90-day window, is a pattern inspectors and the chain's regional management would both have reason to examine.
The Beach Boulevard Jacksonville KFC left its inspection with an unresolved employee illness reporting failure, a chemical storage violation, and a sewage disposal citation, all rated high or intermediate severity, all documented in the same visit.
