How many health inspections has BENTO CAFE had?

BENTO CAFE has had 22 inspections according to Florida DBPR records.

Has BENTO CAFE ever been shut down?

No, BENTO CAFE has no emergency closures on record.

What are the most common violations at BENTO CAFE?

The most frequently cited violations at BENTO CAFE are: Consumer advisory, Shell stock requirements, Employee health reporting.

What does Florida violation V10 (Approved food source) mean?

UNSAFE FOOD SOURCE: Food from unapproved sources bypasses USDA/FDA safety inspections, potentially harboring Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, parasites, or chemical contaminants. Uninspected meat may contain antibiotics, hormones, or prions (mad cow disease). Home-canned foods risk deadly Clostridium botulinum toxin. Wild-harvested shellfish may contain paralytic toxins. All food must come from approved, inspected sources. Maintain supplier documentation and invoices. Shellfish must have proper tags retained for 90 days. No home-prepared, home-canned, or uninspected foods. Wild game must be commercially processed. Verify supplier licenses and inspection status.

What does Florida violation V14 (Food contact surfaces) mean?

CROSS-CONTAMINATION: Improperly cleaned food contact surfaces are a primary vehicle for bacterial transfer. Cutting boards can harbor 200x more fecal bacteria than a toilet seat. Biofilms form on surfaces within 24 hours, protecting Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli from routine cleaning. One contaminated surface can transfer pathogens to dozens of food items throughout the day. Clean and sanitize ALL food contact surfaces: after each use, between different food types (especially raw meat to ready-to-eat), every 4 hours during continuous use, and when contaminated. Use proper sanitizer concentration: chlorine 50-100 ppm, quaternary ammonium 200-400 ppm. Air dry — do not towel dry. Test sanitizer concentration every 2 hours.

What does Florida violation V29 (Proper sewage disposal) mean?

SEWAGE EXPOSURE: Improper sewage disposal creates risk of fecal contamination throughout the facility. Raw sewage contains billions of pathogens per liter including Norovirus, Hepatitis A, pathogenic E. coli, Campylobacter, and parasites. Sewage backup in food areas requires immediate closure and extensive decontamination. Groundwater contamination affects entire communities. All sewage and waste water must be disposed through approved sanitary sewer or private system. No direct connections between sewage lines and water supply. Grease traps must be maintained and cleaned regularly. Floor drains must function properly. Report sewage backups immediately and cease food operations until resolved.

BENTO CAFE

320 3 ST S, St Petersburg, FL 33701

Pinellas County · Permanent Food Service · Owner: BENTO ST PETE LLC · License: SEA6217796

BENTO CAFE in St Petersburg, FL has 22 inspections on record with 172 total violations (7.8 per inspection) and 0 emergency closures.

22Inspections

172Violations

0Closures

Data current as of March 14, 2025

Inspection History (22)

Mar 14, 2025 — Routine - Food· 3 violations · Call Back - Complied

High Priority Violations

V10 Approved food source

V14 Food contact surfaces

Intermediate Violations

V29 Proper sewage disposal

Mar 10, 2025 — Routine - Food· 7 violations (3 high priority)· Warning Issued

High Priority Violations

V01 Management awareness

V03 Employee health reporting

V10 Approved food source

V12 Shell stock requirements

V14 Food contact surfaces

Intermediate Violations

V29 Proper sewage disposal

Aug 13, 2024 — Routine - Food· 11 violations (3 high priority)· Inspection Completed - No Further Action

High Priority Violations

V03 Employee health reporting

V12 Shell stock requirements

V16 Proper cooking temps

V22 Consumer advisory

V25 Allergen awareness

Intermediate Violations

V29 Proper sewage disposal

V35 Single-use items

V36 Proper ventilation

V41 Toilet facilities

May 1, 2024 — Routine - Food· 2 violations · Call Back - Complied

High Priority Violations

V22 Consumer advisory

V25 Allergen awareness

Apr 23, 2024 — Routine - Food· 10 violations (2 high priority)· Warning Issued

High Priority Violations

V06 Handwashing facilities

V10 Approved food source

V12 Shell stock requirements

V16 Proper cooking temps

V22 Consumer advisory

V25 Allergen awareness

Intermediate Violations

V31 Clean multi-use utensils

V35 Single-use items

Dec 4, 2023 — Routine - Food· 12 violations (1 high priority)· Inspection Completed - No Further Action

Apr 28, 2023 — Routine - Food· 1 violations · Call Back - Complied

High Priority Violations

V25 Allergen awareness

Feb 21, 2023 — Routine - Food· 10 violations (3 high priority)· Warning Issued

High Priority Violations

V01 Management awareness

V03 Employee health reporting

V11 Food in good condition

V22 Consumer advisory

V25 Allergen awareness

Intermediate Violations

V36 Proper ventilation

Basic Violations

V53 Outer openings protected

Aug 24, 2022 — Routine - Food· 10 violations (1 high priority)· Inspection Completed - No Further Action

High Priority Violations

V10 Approved food source

V14 Food contact surfaces

V16 Proper cooking temps

V21 Time as control

V22 Consumer advisory

V23 Chemical properly stored

Intermediate Violations

V33 Proper cooling equipment

V35 Single-use items

V40 Wiping cloths usage

Basic Violations

V45 Floor maintenance

Jan 25, 2022 — Routine - Food· 5 violations · Call Back - Complied

High Priority Violations

V13 Parasite destruction

V14 Food contact surfaces

V24 Toxic substance control

Intermediate Violations

V36 Proper ventilation

Jan 24, 2022 — Routine - Food· 25 violations (9 high priority)· Warning Issued

High Priority Violations

V01 Management awareness

V03 Employee health reporting

V08 Proper hand/arm washing

V12 Shell stock requirements

V13 Parasite destruction

V14 Food contact surfaces

V16 Proper cooking temps

V21 Time as control

V22 Consumer advisory

V23 Chemical properly stored

V24 Toxic substance control

V25 Allergen awareness

Intermediate Violations

V35 Single-use items

V36 Proper ventilation

V41 Toilet facilities

Sep 7, 2021 — Routine - Food· 4 violations (1 high priority)· Call Back - Complied

High Priority Violations

V08 Proper hand/arm washing

V12 Shell stock requirements

V27 Correct procedures

Intermediate Violations

V29 Proper sewage disposal

Jul 9, 2021 — Routine - Food· 13 violations (5 high priority)· Warning Issued

High Priority Violations

V01 Management awareness

V02 Employee health policy

V03 Employee health reporting

V08 Proper hand/arm washing

V12 Shell stock requirements

V14 Food contact surfaces

V27 Correct procedures

Intermediate Violations

V29 Proper sewage disposal

Basic Violations

V53 Outer openings protected

Nov 13, 2020 — Routine - Food· 3 violations (1 high priority)· Inspection Completed - No Further Action

High Priority Violations

V03 Employee health reporting

V21 Time as control

Intermediate Violations

V31 Clean multi-use utensils

Jul 22, 2020 — Routine - Food· 2 violations · Call Back - Complied

Intermediate Violations

V29 Proper sewage disposal

Basic Violations

V53 Outer openings protected

Jul 21, 2020 — Routine - Food· 8 violations (3 high priority)· Warning Issued

High Priority Violations

V01 Management awareness

V02 Employee health policy

V03 Employee health reporting

V08 Proper hand/arm washing

V12 Shell stock requirements

Intermediate Violations

V29 Proper sewage disposal

V31 Clean multi-use utensils

Basic Violations

V53 Outer openings protected

Feb 13, 2020 — Routine - Food· 8 violations · Inspection Completed - No Further Action

High Priority Violations

V06 Handwashing facilities

V16 Proper cooking temps

V22 Consumer advisory

V23 Chemical properly stored

Intermediate Violations

V29 Proper sewage disposal

V31 Clean multi-use utensils

V36 Proper ventilation

V41 Toilet facilities

Aug 20, 2019 — Routine - Food· 6 violations (3 high priority)· Call Back - Admin. complaint recommended

High Priority Violations

V01 Management awareness

V03 Employee health reporting

V14 Food contact surfaces

V22 Consumer advisory

Intermediate Violations

V35 Single-use items

Aug 16, 2019 — Routine - Food· 20 violations (8 high priority)· Warning Issued

High Priority Violations

V01 Management awareness

V02 Employee health policy

V03 Employee health reporting

V08 Proper hand/arm washing

V10 Approved food source

V12 Shell stock requirements

V14 Food contact surfaces

V21 Time as control

V22 Consumer advisory

Intermediate Violations

V35 Single-use items

V36 Proper ventilation

V40 Wiping cloths usage

Basic Violations

V51 Premises clean

Dec 21, 2018 — Complaint Full· 0 violations · Call Back - Complied

No violations recorded for this inspection.

Dec 20, 2018 — Complaint Full· 10 violations (6 high priority)· Warning Issued

High Priority Violations

V01 Management awareness

V02 Employee health policy

V03 Employee health reporting

V08 Proper hand/arm washing

V09 No contamination

V12 Shell stock requirements

Sep 10, 2018 — Food-Licensing Inspection· 2 violations · Inspection Completed - No Further Action

High Priority Violations

V05 Handwashing procedures

Intermediate Violations

V38 Waste properly disposed

How Does This Facility Compare?

BENTO CAFE has had 0 emergency closures, compared to the Pinellas County average of 0.27 closures per facility. It has averaged 7.8 violations per inspection vs. the county average of 4.56.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many health inspections has BENTO CAFE had?: BENTO CAFE has had 22 inspections according to Florida DBPR records.
Has BENTO CAFE ever been shut down?: No, BENTO CAFE has no emergency closures on record.
What are the most common violations at BENTO CAFE?: The most frequently cited violations at BENTO CAFE are: Consumer advisory, Shell stock requirements, Employee health reporting.

Nearby Establishments

TAYLOR SAMS

312 3 ST S, St Petersburg

7 inspections · 40 violations · 1 closures

Last inspected: May 9, 2025

SUBWAY 32063

308 3 ST S, St. Petersburg

17 inspections · 81 violations

Last inspected: Aug 19, 2024

GRATZZI'S RESTAURANT

211 2ND STREET S., St. Petersburg

30 inspections · 286 violations

Last inspected: May 12, 2025

RED MESA CANTINA

128 3 ST S, St. Petersburg

40 inspections · 232 violations

Last inspected: May 2, 2025

Editorial Standards & Data Oversight

Data Source: This report is based on official public inspection records from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).

Editorial Process: Content generated using AI to synthesize complex regulatory data, then reviewed and verified for accuracy by our editorial team.

Professional Review: All content undergoes standards and compliance oversight by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., Nationally Registered EMT & BU-trained Paralegal, using professional regulatory data auditing protocols.

Last verified: March 14, 2025 | Our methodology | Editorial standards | Report an error

This page is maintained by FloridaFoodSafety.org and is not affiliated with BENTO CAFE.