Popular Florida Breakfast Eatery, Keke's Cafe, Shut Down After State Inspection - 15 Violations

Photo byNightcrafter, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Floridians who want an excellent breakfast or brunch but don't want to cook themselves have plenty of nice options, such as Oxford Exchange and White Wolf Cafe are just a few examples. Unfortunately, one restaurant in this genre - Kiki's Cafe in Lake Mary - was recently shut down after a state inspection.

About Keke's Cafe, Its Humble Florida Beginnings, And The Denny's $82.5 Million Sale: Keke's is probably best known for its breakfasts and lunches. According to Mashed, the chain, which was originally named "Florida Waffle Shop, began in Orlando, Florida.

According to Restaurant Dive, although Keke's operates independently from Denny's, the larger company Denny's acquired Keke's in the summer of 2022 for $82.5 million.

According to an article in What Now Orlando, Keke's is planning to expand outside of Florida and open 100 restaurants nationwide.

Florida Feedback For The Keke's Lake Mary Location In Question: The Keke's in question, which is located at 4225 W Lake Mary Boulevard, has been reviewed 1,200 times and earns 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google reviews. Many describe high-quality food, generous portions, and friendly service.

A reviewer named Anne wrote:

"Good food and generous portions! The staff was extremely kind, friendly, and efficient. (The) restaurant was clean. My side order of fruit was almost bigger than my sandwich, which was awesome! Fruit was fresh and not the canned fruit, thank goodness! Sandwich (was) also very large..."

What Happened At Inspection?: According to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, an inspection occurred on July 3, 2024. At that time, 15 violations were noted.

Examples of basic violations were a cutting board that was no longer cleanable, unwashed vegetables being stored with ready-to-eat food, and the observation of dead roaches.

High-priority violations were noted for roach activity as evidenced by the observation of live roaches, an employee switching from working with raw eggs to handling plates with ready-to-eat food without washing hands, and cold foods like cheese, burgers, and turkey sausage being held at over 41 degrees.

Because of some of the above violations, the restaurant was temporarily shut down. At a follow-up inspection on July 3, 2024, 8 violations remained but none were considered an immediate threat to the public so the restaurant was free to reopen.

Please note that an inspection is one moment in time and not necessarily how a restaurant conducts itself every day.

The author is not affiliated with Keke's or any other restaurant.