Florida's Touch Of Italy Shut Down For 3 Days With Roach Activity - The 4th Closure

Photo byPopo le Chien, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

According to Voice of America, 82% of Americans say they love Italian food. And there's arguably much to like with gooey cheese and crispy breads.

And it's even better if you can find an Italian eatery that offers sampler options. You get to fill up on unlimited options for one set price, which is a reasonably priced day for many.

Unfortunately, one Florida eatery in this category was recently temporarily closed down via inspection for the 4th time.

About Touch Of Italy Restaurant and Pizzeria: The website for this eatery is quite sparse. But their Facebook page indicates that they are regularly seeking help and they frequently offer specials such as two slices of pizza for $7.99.

Reviewers give this eatery 4.1 out of 5 stars on Google reviews. And some from Buffalo say the pizza is like "coming home."

A reviewer named Robin wrote:

"Absolutely the best pizza and Italian dishes in Inverness. No other pizzeria can come close to the flavor and the quality of their pizzas. Hands-down the best pizzas we’ve had. The dough is hand-tossed, soft and flavorful. Even the garlic is fresh minced...We definitely are repeat customers."

What Happened At Inspection?: According to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, an inspection occurred on March 23, 2024. At that time, 8 violations were found.

Basic violations came for issues like the observation of dead roaches, a soiled walk-in cooler, and a hole in the drywall.

Intermediate violations came for issues like the handwashing sink being used for a purpose other than handwashing food being opened longer than 24 hours and allegedly not being labeled properly (ham.)

A high-priority violation was for the presence of live roaches. As a result, the restaurant was temporarily closed.

Although follow-up inspections occurred on the 26th and 27th, issues remained. The restaurant was allowed to reopen on the 28th.

This is not the first closure for this eatery. There were also closures in May of 2023, July of 2023, and January of 2024.

Note that an inspection is one moment in time and not necessarily indicative of how a restaurant conducts itself every day.

The author is not affiliated with Touch Of Italy Restaurant and Pizzeria or any other restaurant.