WEST PALM BEACH, FL. Back in February 2026, state inspectors ordered Inti Sandwich on North Military Trail shut down after finding roach activity inside the restaurant, the third time in less than seven years that inspectors had closed this same location for pest-related violations.
The closure order was issued on February 23, 2026. The facility was directed to vacate by February 24. It had reopened by 4:01 that same afternoon.
What Inspectors Found
Inti Sandwich: Emergency Closure History
The February 23 inspection that triggered the closure also turned up a high-priority violation for roach activity and an intermediate violation. The closure order itself cited roach activity as the sole reason for the emergency shutdown.
The follow-up inspection the next day, February 24, showed zero high-severity and zero intermediate violations, which allowed the restaurant to reopen.
That same day's clearance did not end the scrutiny. A subsequent inspection on April 27, 2026, found three new high-severity violations at the location, including a finding that no person in charge was present or performing duties, a citation for improper hand and arm washing technique, and a citation for inadequate shell stock identification and records.
What These Violations Mean
Roach activity is one of the most direct triggers for emergency closure under Florida food safety law, and for clear reason. Cockroaches carry and transfer pathogens including Salmonella and E. coli across food preparation surfaces, equipment, and food itself. A single live roach observed near food contact surfaces is enough to justify an immediate shutdown because the risk of contamination is not theoretical once an active infestation is present.
The "no person in charge" violation documented in the April 27 follow-up inspection is a distinct problem with compounding consequences. CDC data cited in the inspection record indicates that establishments without active managerial control accumulate three times as many critical violations as those with engaged supervision. When no one is accountable for monitoring food temperatures, handwashing compliance, and pest prevention simultaneously, individual failures multiply.
The improper handwashing technique citation from April 27 is worth reading carefully. It is not a citation for skipping handwashing entirely. It means an employee attempted to wash their hands and still left pathogens on them because the technique was wrong. Studies show that improperly executed handwashing can leave contamination levels nearly as high as no washing at all.
The shell stock traceability violation is a different category of risk. Shellfish consumed raw or lightly cooked, such as oysters and clams, are among the highest-risk foods served in any establishment. Without proper identification tags and sourcing records, there is no way to trace a shellfish-linked illness back to its origin if a customer becomes sick.
The Longer Record
The February 2026 closure was not an isolated event at this address. State records show 32 inspections at this location with 178 total violations documented across that history. That averages more than five and a half violations per inspection visit over the life of the facility's record.
The two prior emergency closures frame the February 2026 shutdown in sharp terms. Inspectors closed the restaurant in December 2019 for rodent activity. Less than three years later, in September 2022, they closed it again for roach activity. The February 2026 closure for roach activity was the third shutdown, and the second specifically tied to cockroaches.
The inspection record in the months before the February closure adds context. An inspection on December 23, 2025, found four high-severity violations and two intermediate violations, one of the heavier inspection results in the recent record. That came roughly two months before the emergency closure.
Looking further back, the February 2024 inspection also found four high-severity violations and one intermediate violation. The September 2024 inspection found two high-severity violations and one intermediate. The pattern across multiple inspection cycles is consistent: high-severity findings appear repeatedly, not as anomalies.
After the Reopening
The February 24 clearance inspection found no violations and allowed the restaurant to reopen. That result is not unusual following an emergency closure, as facilities typically address the immediate triggering condition before a reinspection is conducted.
What the April 27, 2026, inspection found is harder to set aside. Three high-severity violations documented roughly two months after the emergency closure, including the absence of a person in charge, suggest the conditions that produce serious findings at this location have not been resolved by the closure and reinspection cycle alone.
The facility's record now includes three emergency closures, 178 documented violations, and a post-closure inspection that itself produced three high-severity citations.