FLORIDA. A Subway in Hawthorne drew six high-severity violations in a single inspection this summer, including toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, an employee not reporting symptoms of illness, and a failure to follow required procedures for specialized food processes, records from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation show.
That location, Subway at 6005 SE US Highway 301, was not alone. Between May 1 and July 29, 2026, inspectors flagged the ten worst-performing Subway locations in Florida for a combined 51 high-severity violations and 23 intermediate violations. The chain operates 876 locations statewide. Its overall pass rate sits at 93.15 percent, with an average of 3.43 violations per inspection across 14,199 inspections on record.
The Violations
The Hawthorne location's violations extended beyond chemicals. Inspectors cited it for inadequate shell stock identification records, a missing consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and single-use items being reused. Multi-use utensils were also flagged as not properly cleaned.
Subway at 3424 SW Williston Road in Gainesville drew its own six high-severity violations, including food found in poor condition or adulterated, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and food not cooked to required minimum temperatures. Inspectors also cited that location for improperly stored toxic chemicals and a separate citation for toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used, two distinct chemical-related high-severity findings in a single visit.
Subway #29413 at 7965 SR 50 in Groveland was cited for failing to follow parasite destruction procedures, a violation that means fish or other proteins requiring freezing treatment before service were not handled correctly. That location also had food in poor condition, unclean food contact surfaces, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, and improperly stored toxic chemicals.
Subway #47295 at 830 E Hathaway in Bronson had no person in charge present or performing duties during the inspection, a finding that appeared alongside five other high-severity violations including food in poor condition, unclean food contact surfaces, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Subway #60865 at 1325 San Marco Boulevard in Jacksonville was cited for improper hand and arm washing technique, meaning employees were attempting to wash hands but doing so incorrectly. Inspectors also cited that location for no allergen awareness demonstrated, inadequate shell stock identification, toxic substances improperly stored, and unclean food contact surfaces.
Subway #26212 at 9630 SW 24 Street in Miami had no written employee health policy, inadequate handwashing facilities, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and two separate toxic substance violations. The location also lacked adequate ventilation.
Subway 21218 at 13769 SW 152 Street in Miami accumulated five intermediate violations in addition to five high-severity ones, including improper sewage or wastewater disposal, an intermediate finding that points to a more serious infrastructure problem than most of the other locations on this list.
Subway 1973 at 917 Arthur Godfrey Road in Miami Beach was cited for food from an unapproved or unknown source, one of only two locations on this list with that specific finding. The location also had time as a public health control not properly used, meaning perishable food was left in the temperature danger zone without documented time tracking.
Subway #26296 at 4410 W 16 Avenue in Hialeah drew citations for an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, food in poor condition, and inadequate shell stock identification records.
Subway at 6542 Collins Avenue in Miami had one high-severity violation, a missing consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
What These Violations Mean
The single most common high-severity violation across these ten locations was toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, appearing at six of them. At a sandwich counter where food is assembled inches from storage shelves, a mislabeled chemical bottle or a cleaning product stored above a prep surface can contaminate food directly, with no cooking step to eliminate the hazard. The Gainesville location carried two separate chemical citations, one for improper storage and one for improper identification and use.
Employee illness reporting failures showed up at four locations, including Hawthorne, Groveland, Bronson, and Hialeah. Norovirus spreads through direct contact with an infected food handler and can sicken dozens of customers from a single shift. A written health policy, which the Miami locations on SW 24 Street and SW 152 Street both lacked, is the first line of defense against that transmission route. Without it, sick employees have no formal instruction to stay home.
The shellfish traceability violation, cited at Hawthorne, Jacksonville, and Hialeah, is unexpected at a chain not known for serving oysters or clams. When shellfish arrive without proper harvest tags or identification records, there is no way to trace a contamination event back to the source bed. That traceability gap is specifically why shellfish outbreaks are often difficult to contain.
Allergen awareness failures at Jacksonville and the Miami SW 152 Street location represent a direct risk to customers with food allergies. Food allergies affect 32 million Americans and cause 30,000 emergency room visits annually. At a chain where customers verbally communicate customizations across a counter, staff who cannot demonstrate allergen awareness have no reliable way to prevent cross-contact.
The Longer Record
Across all 876 Florida Subway locations, inspectors have conducted 14,199 inspections on record. That volume makes the chain one of the most-inspected in the state, and it gives the cumulative violation pattern real weight. Two locations have been emergency-closed this year.
The specific inspection histories of the ten worst-performing locations this period are not broken out in the available data, but the statewide average of 3.43 violations per inspection means that a location logging six high-severity violations in a single visit is running at roughly twice the chain's own baseline, and in categories, chemical storage, illness reporting, food sourcing, that represent the most acute public health risks rather than administrative or maintenance-level findings.
The Gainesville location's double chemical citation in a single inspection stands out. Two distinct high-severity findings for toxic substances in one visit, one for storage and one for identification and use, suggest a systemic problem with how chemicals are managed at that site, not an isolated oversight.
The Miami Beach location's food from an unapproved source citation is the finding with the least visibility and the most potential consequence. Food that bypasses USDA or FDA inspection has no verified safety history. If a customer gets sick and investigators need to trace the ingredient, there is no paper trail to follow.
