Health Inspectors Shut Down Ocala Pizzeria After Finding Roaches and Raw Beef Violations

Pronto Pizza was ordered to stop serving customers on Friday, Nov. 6, after state health inspectors cited the Ocala location for 14 code violations.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation identified five high-priority issues in its report. Inspectors documented roach activity throughout the facility and found specific cross-contamination risks in the kitchen storage areas.

Two live roaches were observed on the floor beneath pizza racks near the front counter. A third live roach was found under a refrigerated table near the front oven, and a fourth was located near the mop sink in the rear kitchen.

The report listed at least two roach egg sacs on the floor behind the front counter. Seven dead roaches were discovered under counters, inside a handwash sink cabinet, beneath the make-table, and inside a water heater pan.

Food handling errors included a pan of raw beef placed directly on top of cooked lasagna. Raw shrimp sat on broccoli in a prep cooler, and raw shell eggs were stored above gallons of milk in the walk-in cooler.

Frozen raw shrimp were also stored over bags of frozen bread. The restaurant used nonfood-grade plastic grocery bags to hold frozen bread in direct contact. Cooked chicken wings date-marked Oct. 28 exceeded the seven-day holding limit.

The manager told the inspector the wing date was recorded incorrectly and had an employee move the wings to a clean pan marked Nov. 3.

Health officials re-inspected the restaurant on Saturday, Nov. 7, and permitted it to reopen after finding no additional violations.