PEMBROKE PINES, FL. Back in February 2026, state inspectors walked into a Pembroke Pines popcorn shop and found the wastewater drain from the warewashing sink connected directly to the sewage system, a violation that inspectors flagged as an immediate plumbing risk at a facility handling packaged food.
The February 3 inspection of Pops Corn, a specialty food shop, turned up 17 total violations, including two priority violations and four priority foundation violations. None were corrected on site during the inspection itself, though some were addressed before the inspector left.
What Inspectors Found
The sewage finding was among the most structurally serious. Inspectors noted that the warewashing sink in the backroom had a direct connection to the sewage system, a plumbing configuration that creates a pathway for contaminated wastewater to back up into food prep equipment.
Spray bottles of cleaning chemicals were stored alongside single-service items and packaged foods on the shelf under the service counter. The inspector noted those were properly relocated before leaving.
A container of employee personal medicine was found sitting on the counter with packaged foods and open single-service items. That violation was marked as a repeat, meaning inspectors had flagged the same problem at a previous visit. It was moved during the inspection.
The person in charge at the time of the inspection could not answer questions that relate to foodborne illness prevention, according to the inspector's notes. That finding was recorded as a priority foundation violation.
The only handwashing sink at the service counter was partially blocked by an oven, and hand towels were not present at that sink when inspectors arrived. Both were addressed during the visit. A second handwashing sink in the backroom, located at the warewashing area, had no posted handwashing sign.
Sanitizer test strips, used to verify that chemical sanitizers are at safe concentrations, were not available at the time of inspection.
Multiple bags of previously popped corn were found stored on the floor at the entrance to the backroom, and cases of previously opened single-service beverage cups were also stored on the floor in the same area. State food safety rules require food and single-service items to be stored at least six inches off the floor.
The warewashing sink basins and faucets had visible soil build-up. The processing area had soil build-up and food spillage under equipment and along walls. The same conditions were noted at the service counter. Multiple floor tiles in front of the processing equipment and reach-in refrigerator were damaged.
An unlabeled spray bottle of water and multiple packages of sugar were found on a shelf at the service counter without any label identifying the contents. The facility's operating permit was not displayed or available at the time of inspection. An employee was observed wearing bracelets while handling food in the processing area. The restroom inside the shop was missing a self-closing mechanism on the door.
What These Violations Mean
The direct sewage connection at the warewashing sink is not a paperwork problem. When a drain from a food-contact sink ties directly into the sewage line without an air gap, sewage gases and, in backflow situations, contaminated water can enter the same basin used to wash equipment. At a shop selling packaged popcorn, that sink touches the surfaces that touch the product.
Storing cleaning chemicals next to packaged food and open single-service cups creates a contamination risk that is straightforward: a spill, a mislabeled bottle, or a splash during cleaning can reach product that goes directly to customers. That violation was corrected during the visit, but it was present when the inspector arrived.
The person in charge being unable to answer basic foodborne illness questions matters because that person is the last line of defense when something goes wrong. If an employee comes to work sick, if a temperature is off, if a chemical is stored incorrectly, the person in charge is supposed to recognize the problem and act. At Pops Corn in February, that person could not demonstrate that knowledge to the inspector.
The repeat violation involving employee medicine stored with food is a signal that a prior citation did not produce a lasting fix. When the same problem reappears across separate inspections, it indicates the correction made at the time of the first citation did not become standard practice.
The Longer Record
The inspection history at this location is short. State records show one prior FDACS inspection on file, a focused inspection conducted on November 4, 2024, which recorded zero violations.
That single clean focused inspection is now followed by a full sanitation inspection that produced 17 violations, including six at the priority or priority foundation level. A focused inspection is narrower in scope than a full sanitation inspection, which means the two records are not directly comparable, but the gap between zero and 17 is notable.
The repeat violation on employee medicine storage confirms that at least one problem existed before February 2026 and was not resolved between visits.
At the time of the February inspection, the facility met sanitation inspection requirements overall, meaning it was not ordered closed. The direct sewage connection at the warewashing sink, however, was not listed among the violations corrected on site.