LUTZ, FL. Back in February 2026, a food prep employee at Swig Drinks at Cypress Creek Town Center did not wash hands before beginning food service, according to state inspection records.
That finding, logged by a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services inspector on February 3, was the most serious of five violations documented during the visit. The inspector noted the employee washed hands only after being told to, and that proper handwashing was discussed with staff on the spot.
What Inspectors Found
The handwashing problem was compounded by a second violation at the same sink. The inspector found no hand drying devices available at the handwashing sink near the prep area, recording that paper towels were supplied after the issue was raised. An employee who cannot dry their hands after washing is less likely to wash them at all.
A food worker was also observed wearing a watch and bracelet while preparing food. The inspector documented the jewelry in the food prep area. That violation was not noted as corrected during the visit.
In the back area, cases of bib soda syrup were sitting directly on the floor. State food code requires food to be stored at least six inches above the floor in a clean, dry location. That finding was also not noted as corrected on site.
The facility's 2026 food permit was not conspicuously displayed and was not available upon request. Management printed and posted it during the inspection.
The location met sanitation inspection requirements overall, meaning it passed. None of the five violations were repeats from a prior inspection.
What These Violations Mean
The handwashing violation carries the most direct public health consequence of anything documented that day. An employee who skips handwashing before food service can transfer bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens directly onto the drinks and food items being prepared. At a location like Swig Drinks, where employees handle cups, lids, and beverage ingredients throughout a shift, the contact points are frequent.
The absence of paper towels at the handwashing sink is classified as a priority foundation violation because it removes the infrastructure that makes proper handwashing possible. If the towels are not there, the sink becomes a formality. The two violations together, at the same location in the prep area, indicate that handwashing was not a functional part of the routine that day.
Jewelry on food handlers is not a cosmetic concern. Watches and bracelets harbor bacteria in the links and clasps, areas that are difficult to sanitize and that come into direct contact with food surfaces and containers during prep work.
Storing soda syrup on the floor exposes product packaging to moisture, pests, and contamination from floor-level debris. For a beverage-focused establishment where syrup goes directly into drinks served to customers, the storage condition matters even before the syrup is opened.
The Longer Record
The February 3 inspection was not the first time FDACS had been inside this Swig Drinks location. Records show two prior inspections on file.
The earliest on record was a preoperational inspection on October 6, 2025, which turned up three violations, one of them a repeat. That visit occurred before the location opened for regular business, meaning inspectors flagged problems before the store was even fully operational.
A focused inspection followed on March 4, 2026, roughly a month after the February visit. That inspection found one violation, and it was a repeat.
The presence of a repeat violation in March, after the February inspection had already documented five violations, suggests that at least one of those problems was not resolved between visits. The October preoperational inspection also included a repeat, which means the location was carrying over unresolved issues even before it opened to the public.
Three inspections across five months, with repeat violations appearing in two of the three, is a pattern worth noting for a location that had not yet completed its first full year of operation.
The Unresolved Detail
Of the five violations documented on February 3, only three were corrected on site. The food worker's jewelry and the soda syrup cases on the floor were not noted as corrected during the inspection.
The permit was posted. The employee washed hands. Paper towels were supplied at the sink. But the worker left the prep area still wearing a watch and bracelet, and the syrup cases remained on the floor when the inspector walked out.