TAMPA, FL. China Buffet on East Fowler Avenue drew eight high-severity violations during the week of June 1, the most of any facility inspected in Tampa this week, including citations for toxic chemicals improperly stored near food, no person in charge on duty, and employees who were not reporting illness symptoms before handling food.
The Violations
China Buffet's eight citations covered nearly every layer of food safety management. Inspectors found no active person in charge, no written employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, food contact surfaces that had not been properly cleaned or sanitized, toxic chemicals stored or labeled improperly, and no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked items. The facility was also cited for failing to properly use time as a public health control, a mechanism that allows food to remain outside safe temperature ranges only when a strict written log is maintained.
Coasis on North Nebraska Avenue drew seven high-severity violations, including inadequate handwashing facilities, no shellfish traceability records, no employee health policy, and no consumer advisory. The absence of a functioning handwashing station is among the most foundational failures an inspector can document, because it makes every other handwashing requirement structurally impossible to meet.
Skateworld on Paula Drive, a roller rink with a food service operation, was cited for six high-severity violations. Inspectors noted food in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated; no employee health policy; employees not reporting illness symptoms; inadequate shell stock identification; food contact surfaces not properly cleaned; and no consumer advisory. Three intermediate violations accompanied those, including multi-use utensils not properly cleaned and inadequate ventilation and lighting.
La Vitanuova Sports Bar and Grill on North Armenia Avenue also collected six high-severity citations: employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing technique, food in poor condition or adulterated, missing shellfish traceability records, unclean food contact surfaces, and no consumer advisory for raw foods.
Sweet Krunch Korean Fried Chicken on East 7th Avenue was cited for food from an unapproved or unknown source, food contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock records, and no consumer advisory. Food from unapproved sources has bypassed federal inspection, meaning there is no chain of custody if a customer becomes ill.
Bern's Steak House on South Howard Avenue, one of Tampa's most prominent fine dining institutions, drew five high-severity violations. Those included food from an unapproved or unknown source, inadequate shellfish traceability, improper handwashing technique, failure to properly use time as a public health control, and no consumer advisory. One intermediate violation for inadequate ventilation and lighting was also recorded.
Good Taste on North Florida Avenue carried four high-severity violations alongside three intermediate ones. The high-severity citations included no employee health policy, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, and food from an unapproved or unknown source. Among the intermediate violations was improper sewage or wastewater disposal, a citation that signals the risk of fecal contamination spreading through the facility.
Splitsville on Channelside Drive was cited for five high-severity violations: no person in charge, employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and no consumer advisory.
Abella's Cuban Restaurant on North 34th Street drew five high-severity violations including employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shellfish records, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and no consumer advisory, plus an intermediate citation for multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
Toastique on Raybon Court collected five high-severity violations: no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shellfish traceability, and no consumer advisory. An intermediate citation for improper use of wiping cloths accompanied those findings.
Copper Shaker on East 7th Avenue was cited for no employee health policy, inadequate handwashing facilities, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and no consumer advisory at the high-severity level, plus an intermediate citation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
Barterhouse on 15th Street drew four high-severity violations including improper handwashing technique, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, no consumer advisory, and no allergen awareness demonstrated by staff. The allergen citation is notable: food allergy reactions send 30,000 Americans to emergency rooms each year, and a staff with no demonstrated allergen awareness cannot reliably warn customers with life-threatening sensitivities.
Donatello's on North Dale Mabry was cited for no person in charge, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shellfish traceability, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. An intermediate citation for multi-use utensils not properly cleaned was also recorded.
Al's Finger Licking Good Soul Food on East 7th Avenue drew four high-severity violations: no employee health policy, inadequate shell stock records, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and no consumer advisory, plus an intermediate finding for multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
NY NY Pizza on East 7th Avenue drew a single high-severity violation for parasite destruction procedures not followed, a citation that applies when fish, pork, or wild game is served without the freezing or cooking protocols required to kill parasites including Anisakis and Trichinella.
What These Violations Mean
The most frequently cited violation this week, appearing at China Buffet, Coasis, Skateworld, Toastique, La Vitanuova, Splitsville, Abella's, and others, was some combination of no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, or no person in charge. These three violations travel together because they describe the same underlying failure: no management structure requiring workers to disclose when they are sick before handling food. Norovirus, which causes 20 million illnesses in the United States annually, spreads most efficiently through exactly this pathway, a food worker who feels ill but has no policy requiring disclosure and no supervisor checking.
Improper handwashing technique, cited at China Buffet, La Vitanuova, Sweet Krunch, Bern's, Abella's, Toastique, Good Taste, Barterhouse, and Donatello's, is distinct from simply not washing hands. It means inspectors watched employees attempt to wash their hands and still documented the technique as insufficient to remove pathogens. Studies show that even a brief lapse in handwashing technique, skipping the 20-second scrub or bypassing the wrist and forearm, can leave enough contamination to transfer illness to food.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources, cited at Sweet Krunch, Bern's, and Good Taste, carries a specific traceability problem. If a customer becomes ill after eating at one of these facilities, investigators cannot trace the food back through a regulated supply chain to identify the contamination point. USDA and FDA inspections exist precisely to create that paper trail, and food that bypasses those inspections removes it entirely.
The shellfish traceability citations, appearing at Coasis, Skateworld, La Vitanuova, Sweet Krunch, Bern's, Abella's, Toastique, Al's Finger Licking Good Soul Food, and Donatello's, reflect a specific regulatory requirement for oysters, clams, and mussels. Those shellfish are often consumed raw or lightly cooked, and without harvest location tags and date records on file, there is no way to link a hepatitis A or Vibrio outbreak back to a specific harvest bed. Nine facilities in a single week failing to maintain those records is a pattern, not an anomaly.
The Longer Record
China Buffet's eight violations this week arrive against a backdrop of 52 prior inspections on record, the longest history of any facility cited this week. That volume of inspections across years of operation makes the continued presence of foundational violations, no person in charge, no health policy, toxic chemicals near food, harder to attribute to oversight or unfamiliarity with the code.
Abella's Cuban Restaurant carries 35 prior inspections, and Good Taste on North Florida Avenue has 34. Both were cited this week for handwashing failures and food from unapproved sources. NY NY Pizza on East 7th Avenue has 38 prior inspections behind it and drew a parasite destruction citation this week, a violation that requires a deliberate protocol failure, not a paperwork lapse.
Bern's Steak House, with 25 prior inspections, drew five high-severity violations including food from an unapproved source and inadequate shellfish traceability. The restaurant's reputation as a flagship of Tampa dining does not appear in the inspection record.
At the other end of the history spectrum, La Vitanuova Sports Bar and Grill has only two prior inspections on record and already carries six high-severity violations. Sweet Krunch Korean Fried Chicken has four prior inspections and drew five high-severity citations including contaminated food and food from an unapproved source. Both are among the newest facilities in this week's data, and both are accumulating serious violations at a pace that outstrips their short operating histories.
Donatello's on North Dale Mabry has 24 prior inspections and was cited this week for toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used, the same category of chemical hazard that also appeared at China Buffet. Whether either facility has been cited for chemical storage in prior visits is not reflected in this week's data.