ST. PETERSBURG, FL. An inspector visiting Bonu Taverna at 601 Central Avenue on April 28 found food sourced from unapproved or unknown suppliers, meaning ingredients moving through that kitchen had bypassed every federal safety checkpoint designed to catch Listeria, Salmonella, and other pathogens before they reach a plate.
That was one of six high-severity violations documented that day. The restaurant was not closed.
What Inspectors Found
The inspector also cited employees for not reporting illness symptoms, a violation that sits at the root of most large-scale foodborne outbreaks. Norovirus, in particular, spreads rapidly when infected food workers continue service without disclosing symptoms.
Food was found in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated, and food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized. Those two violations together create a direct cross-contamination pathway: compromised food moving across surfaces that were not adequately cleaned between uses.
Inspectors also documented that food was not cooked to required minimum temperatures. Poultry that does not reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit can carry live Salmonella to the table. The sixth high-severity citation was the absence of a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items, meaning customers with compromised immune systems, pregnant women, and the elderly had no warning that any dish on the menu carried elevated risk.
The three intermediate violations added further detail. Multi-use utensils were not properly cleaned, single-use items were being reused, and toilet facilities were inadequate or improperly maintained. Improperly cleaned utensils develop bacterial biofilms within 24 hours that standard washing does not remove. Broken or poorly maintained restroom facilities reduce the likelihood that employees wash their hands before returning to food prep.
What These Violations Mean
The combination of unapproved food sourcing and undercooking is particularly serious. When food enters a kitchen from an unverified supplier, there is no USDA or FDA inspection record to trace if a customer becomes ill. If that same food is then undercooked, any pathogen present survives to the plate.
The employee illness reporting failure compounds every other violation on the list. A worker shedding Norovirus who handles food on improperly sanitized surfaces, using reused single-use items, at a station with no consumer advisory, creates conditions for a multi-victim outbreak with no clear point of origin.
The absence of a consumer advisory is not a paperwork issue. State rules require that any establishment serving raw or undercooked animal products notify diners, specifically because vulnerable populations, including the elderly, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals, face disproportionate risk of severe illness or death from pathogens like E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria that can survive in undercooked food.
Taken together, the nine violations documented on April 28 represent failures at nearly every stage of food safety: sourcing, storage, cooking, surface sanitation, utensil hygiene, and employee health management.
The Longer Record
The April 28 inspection was not an anomaly. State records show Bonu Taverna has been inspected 27 times and has accumulated 192 total violations across that history.
The pattern in recent years is consistent. Inspectors found 6 high-severity and 4 intermediate violations in July 2024. Before that, an inspection on March 11, 2024 turned up 8 high-severity and 3 intermediate violations, one of the highest single-visit counts in the facility's recent record. A follow-up the next day, March 12, still found 2 high and 2 intermediate violations.
The same pattern appears further back. Inspectors cited 6 high-severity violations on October 11, 2023, followed by a return visit the next day that still found 1 high violation. Four high-severity violations were documented in February 2023. Three more in September 2025. Four more in February 2025.
Bonu Taverna: Recent Inspection History
The restaurant was emergency-closed once before, in May 2018, after inspectors found roach activity. It reopened the next day.
The April 28 inspection found six high-severity violations at Bonu Taverna, including food from unknown sources, undercooking, and employees not reporting illness. The restaurant remained open.