Florida Cici's Pizza Buffet Shut Down After State Inspection - 18 Violations

Photo byAbbamouse, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

I believe that many Floridians enjoy the quantity and variety of buffets because the articles that I write about them always generate interest. While Asian and Southern buffets are common in Florida, pizza buffets are a little less common. One pizza buffet in Florida, Orange City's Cici's, was recently temporarily shut down after a state inspection.

About Cici's Pizza: This eatery was founded in 1985 in Texas. Its goal was to give customers plenty of options - from pizza to salad, to pasta, and desserts. It has expanded to include 300 restaurants throughout the nation, and it has been voted as being the number one casual dining pizza chain for your money by CNN Money.

The location in question at 2448 S Volusia Avenue earns 3.7 on Google reviews. While some praised the variety and fair pricing, one person actually mentioned cleanliness issues.

A reviewer named Holly wrote, in part:

"...we stopped in for a bite. It was a little busier than I expected...I asked my boyfriend to cut off a small slice of spinach (pizza)...and noticed it had a roach on it...The cashier looked panicked and got me a manager who walked up, looked at my plate, and apologized...I can't say there is anything they could have said or done in that situation to make it better, but I can say they obviously need to shut down for deep cleaning and extermination..."

What Happened At Inspection?: According to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, an inspection occurred on July 17, 2024. At that time, 18 violations were noted.

Examples of basic violations were a "black/green mold-like substance" on the interior of the ice bin, a toilet not flushing, standing water in the walk-in cooler, food being stored under dripping water, and the observation of dead roaches and egg casings.

An intermediate violation came because the person in charge did not have proof of food manager certification.

High-priority violations were due to the observation of flying insects and live roaches. Another high-priority violation came for foods that should be cold being held at higher than 41 degrees.

As a result of some of the above violations, the restaurant was temporarily shut down.

Although two follow-up inspections occurred on July 18th and 19th, it took a third inspection on the 19th before the restaurant was free to reopen. 6 violations remained, but none were considered an immediate threat to the public.

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