, FL. The person in charge at I Am Yo Soy Cafe could not correctly answer questions about preventing the transmission of foodborne illness when state inspectors arrived for the establishment's preoperational inspection on September 22, 2026.
That finding was one of six violations documented before the convenience store limited food service operation was cleared to open. The inspection, conducted by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, resulted in a passing determination, but the record of what inspectors found on that first visit raises questions about how prepared the operation was before it opened its doors.
What Inspectors Found
Four of the six violations were classified as priority foundation, the tier that covers the training, equipment, and procedures that underpin food safety rather than a specific contamination event. Inspectors noted that the person in charge "did not respond correctly to questions that relate to preventing transmission of food borne illness."
The establishment also had no written procedures for employees to follow when a vomiting or diarrhea incident occurs on the premises. Inspectors noted that information was provided at the time of the visit.
No probe thermometer was available anywhere in the establishment. Inspectors noted no temperature violation was observed during the inspection, but without a functioning thermometer on hand, verifying food temperatures at any point during a shift would not have been possible.
The restroom handwashing sink had no hot water. Inspectors noted that hot water was provided during the visit, making it the only violation corrected on site.
The Two That Remain
The establishment passed its preoperational inspection, but two violations were not corrected during the visit and carry no notation that they were resolved before the facility opened. The establishment has no certified food protection manager, meaning no one on staff holds a passing credential from a state-approved food safety certification exam.
The restroom also lacks a self-closing door. State food code requires toilet rooms inside food establishments to be completely enclosed to prevent contamination from airborne particles. That door remains as it was when inspectors arrived.
What These Violations Mean
The knowledge gap at the management level is the most consequential finding in this inspection record. When a person in charge cannot correctly answer questions about preventing foodborne illness transmission, it signals that the foundational understanding needed to make daily food safety decisions, such as when to exclude a sick employee, how long food can sit at a given temperature, or what to do after a contamination event, may not be in place. That gap affects every transaction in the store, not just one product or one shift.
The absence of a written vomiting and diarrhea response plan is directly connected to that management knowledge gap. Norovirus, one of the most common causes of foodborne illness outbreaks in retail food settings, spreads rapidly through contaminated surfaces and food contact areas after an incident. Without a written protocol, employees have no guidance on which disinfectants to use, how far to cordon off the affected area, or which food items to discard. At I Am Yo Soy Cafe, that plan did not exist when inspectors walked in.
The missing probe thermometer matters because temperature is the primary control mechanism for bacterial growth in food. Without a calibrated thermometer accessible during a shift, there is no way to verify that hot food is being held above 135 degrees or that cold food is staying below 41 degrees. Inspectors noted no active temperature violation during this visit, but absence of a violation is not the same as confirmation that temperatures were safe.
The uncertified food protection manager violation compounds all of the above. Florida requires at least one certified manager at food establishments, and that certification is the mechanism the state uses to ensure someone in the building has passed a standardized test on food safety principles. Without it, the establishment is operating without a verified anchor of food safety knowledge on staff.
The Longer Record
This was a preoperational inspection, meaning it was the first time state inspectors visited I Am Yo Soy Cafe. There is no prior inspection history on record for this facility.
That context matters. A first inspection showing four priority foundation violations, including a management knowledge failure and no illness response plan, is not a pattern built over years of neglect. It is a starting condition. The question the record leaves open is whether those conditions were corrected before customers began shopping there.
One violation was corrected on site: hot water was restored to the restroom handwashing sink. Five others, including the management knowledge gap, the missing thermometer, the absent vomiting response plan, the uncertified manager, and the restroom door, carry no notation of on-site correction in the inspection record.
