MIAMI BEACH, FL. State inspectors visiting Coyote at 1351 Collins Ave. on August 14 found toxic chemicals improperly stored and labeled alongside food operations, inadequate handwashing facilities, and sewage disposal failures, six high-severity violations in a single visit. The restaurant was not closed.
The inspection also turned up improper handwashing technique by employees, no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods, and a second chemical storage citation for toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Three intermediate violations accompanied the six high-priority findings, including multi-use utensils that were not properly cleaned and inadequate ventilation and lighting throughout the facility.
What Inspectors Found
The two chemical violations are the most immediately dangerous items on the list. Inspectors cited the facility separately for improperly stored or labeled toxic chemicals and for toxic substances that were improperly identified, stored, or used. Both citations on the same visit indicate chemical handling failures at more than one point in the operation.
The handwashing picture is equally direct. Inspectors found the facility lacked adequate handwashing infrastructure, meaning the physical setup itself was not sufficient to allow proper hygiene. Then, separately, they documented that employees were not washing their hands and arms correctly even when attempting to do so.
Those two violations together describe a kitchen where proper hand hygiene was not possible and was not happening.
What These Violations Mean
The dual chemical citations carry an immediate poisoning risk. When toxic chemicals are stored near food preparation areas without proper labeling or separation, a mislabeled bottle or a spill can contaminate food before anyone realizes what has happened. Acute chemical poisoning from restaurant contamination is rare precisely because the rules exist to prevent it. Two separate citations in the same inspection suggests the rules were not being followed at multiple points in the facility.
The handwashing failures compound every other risk on the list. Handwashing is the single most effective barrier between pathogens on employees' hands and food that reaches customers. When the infrastructure is inadequate, employees cannot wash properly even if they want to. When technique is also cited, the record shows they were not washing correctly regardless. Studies cited in state inspection data show that proper handwashing reduces pathogen transmission by up to 50 percent. At Coyote on August 14, neither condition for that reduction existed.
The sewage disposal citation adds a third contamination pathway. Improper wastewater handling creates the possibility of fecal contamination spreading through a facility. Raw sewage contains pathogens including E. coli, norovirus, and hepatitis A.
The absence of a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods is a narrower but specific risk. Pregnant women, elderly customers, young children, and people with compromised immune systems rely on posted advisories to make informed choices. Without one, those customers have no warning.
The Longer Record
The August 14 inspection is not an outlier. State records show Coyote has accumulated 301 violations across 28 inspections on record, a history that places this week's findings inside a sustained pattern rather than an isolated bad day.
The two inspections immediately before this one are instructive. On May 27, 2026, inspectors found 14 high-severity violations and 4 intermediate ones. Two days later, on May 29, a follow-up visit still produced 10 high-severity violations and 4 intermediate ones. The facility's violation count dropped on the second visit but remained at a level that would trigger an emergency closure at many Florida establishments.
The pattern extends back further. In July 2025, inspectors documented 7 high-severity violations. In January 2025, five. In August 2024, three. The numbers have trended upward over the past two years, not down.
Coyote has never been emergency-closed. Across 28 inspections and 301 total violations on record, the state has not once ordered the facility shut to protect public health. The May 2026 pair of inspections, with 14 high-severity violations followed by 10 two days later, did not result in a closure order. Neither did August 14.
Open for Business
The facility's inspection record shows high-severity violations logged on every visit dating back through the data provided. The categories shift from inspection to inspection, but the severity does not.
On August 14, with toxic chemicals improperly stored near food operations, handwashing infrastructure inadequate, sewage disposal cited, and no manager present or performing duties, inspectors documented their findings and left.
Coyote remained open.
