Florida Popeyes Shut Down After A State Inspection

Photo byPhillip Pessar, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Floridians with a craving for fried chicken have plenty of options. And where you choose may depend on what you are looking for. Those who want waffle fries may opt for Chick-fil-A. If mashed potatoes and gravy are important, you might choose KFC. And those who want creole flavors may choose Popeye's. However, a Popeyes location in Panama City was recently temporarily shut down after a state inspection.

About Popeye's And Florida: Many Floridians have access to Popeyes as there are 235 locations in the Sunshine State. Those who were around in the 1970s might remember that this chain made its debut in 1972 in New Orleans. Not surprisingly, its chicken and sides arguably have distinct Cajun and Creole flavors. Some younger Floridians may know the chain for its chicken sandwiches with a brioche bun.

The location in question 1302 W 15 Street gets mixed reviews, earning 3.9 out of 5 stars on Google reviews. While some compliment the food, many complain about customer service. An example of a mixed review comes from someone named Valerie, who wrote:

"The food is great but the customer service was absolutely horrific. The staff today needed an updated class on how to be pleasant with their customers. Totally unacceptable! If you want to work in a public facility, please learn how to work with people. If you don't like your job, find another. Once again, the food is wonderful."

What Happened At Inspection?: According to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, an inspection occurred on August 9, 2024. At that time, 6 violations were noted.

Basic violations came for missing molding in the prep area near the walk-in cooler, a gap in a bathroom door that opens to the outside, standing water on the floor, and a make table soiled "with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust" by the vents, and "objectionable odors" behind chicken in the walk-in cooler.

A high-priority violation came due to raw sewage being on the ground and the following was noted, in part:

"Chicken juice from thawing chicken drains out of (the) walk-in cooler to drain outside - pipe broken, liquid on (the) ground...Manager removed chicken from drain table inside walk-in to prevent further drainage..."

Because of some of the above violations, the restaurant was temporarily shut down. However, at a follow-up on August 9, 2024, the restaurant had zero violations, "met inspection standards," and was free to reopen.

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