GREEN COVE SPRINGS, FL. An employee at Roger That Wings & Things on Walnut Street was found not reporting symptoms of illness to management during a September 10 inspection, a violation state records classify as an outbreak enabler and one of eight high-severity citations documented that day. The restaurant was not closed.
The September 10 inspection produced 8 high-severity violations and 4 intermediate violations, a total of 12 citations from a single visit. State inspectors did not issue an emergency closure order.
What Inspectors Found
The food sourcing violation is among the most serious on the list. Inspectors documented food from an unapproved or unknown source, meaning some of what the restaurant served that day had not passed through USDA or FDA safety inspections. If a customer had gotten sick, there would be no supply chain record to trace.
The undercooking violation compounds that risk directly. At a wing restaurant, the primary protein is poultry. Salmonella in chicken survives below 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Inspectors found that food was not reaching the required minimum internal temperature.
Two separate chemical violations were also cited: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Both involve the proximity of cleaning agents or other hazardous materials to food or food preparation surfaces.
Food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized, and multi-use utensils were not properly cleaned, a combination that creates a direct path for bacterial transfer from one food item to the next. Inspectors also noted that single-use items were being reused, that wiping cloths were improperly used, and that handwashing technique was inadequate, meaning employees were going through the motion of washing hands without eliminating pathogens.
What These Violations Mean
The illness-reporting violation is the one that most directly threatens customers before they walk through the door. When a food worker with norovirus or another contagious illness continues to handle food without reporting symptoms, every item they touch becomes a transmission vehicle. State records categorize this violation as an outbreak enabler because the consequences are not limited to a single customer.
The undercooking violation at a wing-specific restaurant is not an abstract concern. Poultry is the most common vehicle for Salmonella in foodservice settings. An internal temperature below 165 degrees on a chicken wing means bacteria that were present in the raw meat are still alive when the food reaches the table.
The two chemical violations together describe a kitchen where hazardous substances were not properly separated from the food environment. Mislabeled or improperly stored chemicals can contaminate food directly, and in acute cases, chemical poisoning from a single meal is possible.
The absence of a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods means that customers who face elevated risk, including elderly diners, pregnant women, and anyone with a compromised immune system, had no notice that items on the menu might not reach full safe temperature.
The Longer Record
The September 10 inspection was not an anomaly. Roger That Wings & Things has 38 inspections on record and has accumulated 292 total violations over its history. The restaurant was emergency-closed once before, in April 2017, for roach activity. It reopened the following day.
The pattern in recent years shows recurring high-severity violations. A March 2025 inspection produced 6 high-severity citations. An August 2024 inspection produced 4 high-severity citations. A January 2026 inspection produced 4 high-severity citations. The September 10 inspection, at 8 high-severity violations, is the worst single-visit tally in the recent record.
Three follow-up inspections after September 10 showed rapid improvement: inspectors returned on September 11, September 16, and September 17, and found no high-severity violations on any of those visits. Each follow-up produced only a single intermediate citation.
That quick correction after a follow-up visit is a consistent pattern in this facility's history. The violations accumulate between inspections and then drop when inspectors return. The September 10 inspection found 8 high-severity violations on a routine visit, with no inspector present the day before.
Open for Business
State inspectors documented food from an unknown source, chicken not cooked to safe temperature, an ill employee not reporting symptoms, and chemicals stored improperly near food. All of that was recorded at a single location on a single day.
Roger That Wings & Things was not closed.
