WEST PALM BEACH, FL. Inspectors walked into a cafe on 24th Street last week and found food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, toxic substances improperly stored, and food contact surfaces that had not been properly cleaned or sanitized, all in the same facility, all in the same visit.
This Is It Cafe at 444 24th Street drew five high-severity violations and one intermediate violation during the week of September 16, 2026, the highest total among the three West Palm Beach facilities cited for serious infractions that week.
What Inspectors Found
The five high-severity violations at This Is It Cafe covered a wide range of failure points. In addition to the undercooking and toxic substance citations, inspectors documented improper hand and arm washing technique, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and no employee health policy. The intermediate violation involved improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
That is not a list of isolated oversights. Each violation represents a separate breakdown in standard kitchen practice, occurring simultaneously under one roof.
Lessing's at Kravis Center, the food service operation inside the performing arts venue at 701 Okeechobee Boulevard, was cited for three high-severity violations during the same inspection week. Inspectors found inadequate handwashing by food employees, improper hand and arm washing technique, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods on the menu.
The handwashing violations at Lessing's are notable because they represent two distinct failures: employees not washing their hands at all when required, and employees washing incorrectly even when they do. Both citations appeared in the same inspection report.
Mayacoo Lakes Country Club at 9697 Mayacoo Club Drive drew two high-severity violations. Inspectors cited the facility for the person in charge not being present or not performing duties, and for having no employee health policy or an inadequate one.
What These Violations Mean
The undercooking violation at This Is It Cafe is among the most direct routes to a foodborne illness outbreak. Salmonella in poultry survives below 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and a single serving of undercooked chicken can sicken multiple people before anyone connects the illness to the meal. The violation does not mean food was merely warm; it means the cooking process did not reach temperatures that kill pathogens.
The toxic substance citation at the same cafe carries a different but equally serious risk. Improper identification, storage, or use of chemicals in a kitchen creates the possibility of chemical contamination of food, not microbial contamination, but direct poisoning. The two violations together, undercooking and improper toxic storage, represent two entirely separate categories of harm that inspectors documented in a single visit to one facility.
The handwashing violations across two facilities, This Is It Cafe and Lessing's at Kravis Center, matter because handwashing is the single intervention that interrupts the most pathogen transmission pathways. The technique violation is particularly insidious: an employee who washes their hands incorrectly believes they have washed their hands. Studies show improper technique leaves pathogens on hands at nearly the same rate as skipping handwashing entirely. At Lessing's, inspectors cited both failure to wash and failure to wash correctly, meaning the breakdown was not a matter of one employee cutting corners.
The missing consumer advisory at Lessing's creates a specific vulnerability for a specific population. When a restaurant serves raw or undercooked animal products without disclosure, customers who are elderly, pregnant, immunocompromised, or very young have no way to make an informed choice. That is not a paperwork violation; it is the removal of information that a vulnerable diner needs to protect themselves.
At Mayacoo Lakes Country Club, the absence of an active person in charge is the kind of violation that explains why other violations accumulate. CDC data ties the lack of managerial control to three times more critical violations at a given facility. The no-health-policy citation at the country club means there is no formal mechanism to keep a sick employee out of the kitchen, and no documented procedure for a worker to follow if they develop symptoms.
The Longer Record
This Is It Cafe has 36 prior inspections on record. That is a substantial history, and this week's five high-severity violations, including failures in cooking temperature, chemical storage, surface sanitation, handwashing technique, and employee health policy, are not the profile of a facility that has resolved its compliance issues over time. A kitchen with 36 inspections behind it has had ample opportunity to establish and maintain basic food safety practices. The record shows otherwise.
Mayacoo Lakes Country Club carries 31 prior inspections. The two violations cited this week, no person in charge and no employee health policy, are foundational failures, the kind that precede other violations rather than stand alone. A facility inspected 31 times that still lacks a written employee health policy has not treated that requirement as a priority.
Lessing's at Kravis Center has 19 prior inspections, fewer than the other two facilities but still a meaningful history. Three high-severity violations in a single visit at a venue-based food service operation serving theatergoers and event attendees is a significant finding regardless of inspection count. The combination of inadequate handwashing, incorrect technique, and no raw food consumer advisory suggests the inspection week was not an anomaly.
None of the three facilities were emergency-closed during the inspection week. All three remained operating as of the inspection dates, with the violations on record and correction timelines to be determined by follow-up inspection.
What Remains Open
The sewage and wastewater disposal violation at This Is It Cafe is the one finding from this week's inspections that carries the broadest potential for facility-wide contamination. Improper sewage disposal creates the risk of fecal contamination throughout a kitchen, not at a single station or on a single surface. As of the inspection records available for the week of September 16, the intermediate violation remained on the books. Whether a follow-up inspection has since confirmed correction at the 24th Street cafe is not reflected in the data for this reporting period.
