Popular Clearwater, Florida, chicken restaurant was cited for 15 violations in Pinellas County

Photo byLoes KlinkeronUnsplash

The Clearwater Church's Chicken location at 1575 Gulf To Bay Boulevard in Pinellas County recently underwent a routine inspection by the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. The inspection, conducted on September 9, 2024, resulted in a warning and a requirement for a follow-up visit due to several violations.

The restaurant was cited for a total of 15 infractions, including two high-priority violations. While the establishment wasn't ordered to close, the management must address these issues promptly to avoid further action.

In total, this Church's Chicken inspection, which originated from a complaint, revealed two high-priority, two intermediate, and 11 basic violations.

Among the high-priority violations noted were the presence of live insects, unhealthy food preparation areas, and missing safety equipment. Additionally, the restaurant was found to have various cleanliness and maintenance issues, such as soiled floors, ceilings, and equipment.

In the meantime, basic violations noted by the inspectors included buildup of food debris on equipment door handles, soiled ceiling vents, and accumulation of grease on the sides of fryers.

The floor in the cook line was soiled, and floor tiles were missing near the triple sink. Ice buildup was observed in the reach-in freezer on the cook line.

Intermediate violations included accessibility issues at the handwash sink, which was obstructed by a scraper tool, and the unavailability of paper towels at the men’s restroom hand sink, although this issue was corrected on-site.

Church's Chicken holds a 3.6-star rating from 1,518 Google reviews. However, recent customer feedback has been less favorable.

Mr. Vain Vice, a local guide and recent customer, complained about long wait times and poor food quality.

"Dont eat here they had us waited a hour for for our food and it wasnt good. Never will eat here again."

High Priority Violations:

• Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, food storage area and/or bar area
• Vacuum breaker missing at mop sink faucet or on fitting/splitter added to mop sink tap

NOTE: Please note that an inspection report, per the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, provides a snapshot of the conditions observed during the inspection.