CLERMONT, FL. A state inspection of Crafted at 801 W Montrose St on May 8, 2026 found food from unapproved or unknown sources on the premises, meaning inspectors could not verify whether that food had passed any federal safety screening before it reached customers' plates.
That was one of 13 high-severity violations documented in a single visit. The restaurant was not closed.
What Inspectors Found
The full list of high-severity citations on May 8 reads like a checklist of the conditions most likely to make a customer sick. Inspectors found no employee health policy, meaning there was no formal mechanism to keep a worker with Norovirus or Salmonella out of the kitchen. They also cited improper handwashing technique and inadequate handwashing facilities, a combination that means pathogens can move from employee hands to food even when a worker attempts to wash up.
Inspectors cited parasite destruction procedures not being followed. For certain fish and pork products, proper freezing or cooking is the only barrier between a customer and a live parasite. They also found food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, which is the condition under which Salmonella in poultry survives and reaches a plate.
The record also shows no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods, and no allergen awareness demonstrated by staff. Those two violations together mean that a pregnant customer, an elderly diner, or someone with a severe food allergy had no way of knowing the risks from the menu in front of them.
Toxic chemicals were improperly stored or labeled, and a separate citation covered toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Single-use items were being reused. Multi-use utensils were not properly cleaned. Inspectors also noted inadequate sewage or wastewater disposal, inadequate ventilation and lighting, and inadequate or improperly maintained toilet facilities.
The person in charge was not present or not performing duties during the inspection.
What These Violations Mean
Food from an unapproved or unknown source is one of the most serious citations an inspector can write. When food bypasses USDA or FDA inspection channels, there is no traceability. If a customer gets sick, public health officials cannot identify the source, cannot issue a recall, and cannot warn others who may have eaten the same product. Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli have all been linked to uninspected food sources.
The combination of no employee health policy and improper handwashing technique is a direct transmission route for Norovirus, which causes roughly 20 million illnesses in the United States each year. A single sick employee working a full shift without a health policy in place can expose dozens of customers. Improper technique means that even employees who try to wash their hands may leave pathogens behind.
The allergen violation carries its own acute risk. Food allergies affect 32 million Americans and trigger approximately 30,000 emergency room visits annually. When staff cannot demonstrate allergen awareness, a customer with a tree nut or shellfish allergy is relying on a kitchen that has no documented system for protecting them.
Inadequate cooling equipment is not a paperwork problem. When cold-holding equipment cannot maintain required temperatures, food enters what regulators call the danger zone, between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit, where bacteria can double roughly every 20 minutes.
The Longer Record
Crafted Inspection History, Selected Visits
The May 8 inspection did not happen in isolation. State records show Crafted has accumulated 547 violations across 38 inspections on file. The day before, on May 7, inspectors had already cited the restaurant for 14 high-severity and 6 intermediate violations, an almost identical profile to what they found 24 hours later.
The pattern extends back through 2025. Inspectors cited 12 high-severity violations in June 2025, followed by 9 more in August. A December 2025 visit found only 2 high-severity violations, but that relative calm did not hold. By May 2026, the facility had returned to double-digit high-severity counts on back-to-back days.
The facility's one prior emergency closure came in December 2015, when inspectors shut it down for roach activity. It reopened the following day. That closure was more than a decade ago, but the years since have not produced a clean record.
Crafted logged 13 high-severity violations on May 8, 2026, including food from an unknown source and no allergen awareness on the floor. It was not closed.