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State Shuts Down Popular Molino Restaurant For A Day; Owner Says Everything Is OK
September 17, 2008
The discovery of rodent droppings, slime in the ice machine, food at an improper temperature and other violations led to the temporary closure of a popular Molino restaurant by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, but the restaurant’s owner said the inspector’s report was not as bad as it sounds.
During a Monday inspection at Fran’s Country Grill on Highway 29 in Molino, inspectors found 21 critical and 16 non-critical violations of the state’s health codes and ordered the establishment temporarily closed. Fran’s passed a re-inspection Tuesday morning with just one violation and was allowed to reopen.
One critical violation cited was the discovery of rodent activity as evidenced by 28 old droppings on the lid of cracker meal in the kitchen, 50 to 75 fresh and 25 to 50 old rodent droppings on top of a long hamburger press on a kitchen shelf. Inspectors also noted 50 to 100 rodent droppings on the floor of the kitchen, 15 fresh and 25 old rodent droppings underneath a bread rack and along a wall by and surrounding the hot water heater in back food prep room.
“We don’t use that hamburger press for food,” Fran’s Country Grill owner Fran Hampton told NorthEscambia.com. “It’s actually an old one, about two or three feet long, that came with some old stuff I bought. We use it most of the time for a door stop. We have three smaller hamburger presses on the grill.”
A live roach was found crawling on the kitchen counter near the restaurant’s toaster, and two to three live flies were found in the kitchen and back food preparation room, according to the state’s report.
Other critical violations found during Monday’s inspection include slime building up in the ice machine, food stored on the floor and potatoes on the floor in the back food preparation room, a walk-in cooler at 48-49 degrees, milk at 46 degrees and rice pudding at 52 degrees.
Hampton said the rodent dropping problems were located away from the food preparation area in the restaurant, a building that is at least 60 years old. She said the droppings were all found near an outside area where rodents might have managed to get into the old structure. The droppings, she said, were mostly in an area behind a hot water heater.
She said she hired a professional exterminator to eliminate the problem, and 100 percent of the rodents are gone.
“I assure you our kitchen is clean,” Hampton said. “Anybody can come look. I’ve been in the restaurant business almost 50 years; I could not stay in business that long with a dirty kitchen.”
Comments
21 Responses to “State Shuts Down Popular Molino Restaurant For A Day; Owner Says Everything Is OK”
My Mom works there and you know befor she ever started there we me and my boyfriend went there all the time. and still do you know what happen has never happen befor all the people saying nasty and gross all i can say is get a life. Or go and eat there and then say what you have to dont knock it till you try it.. MS.Fran
is a very good woman and so are the crew up there good food and you see people you know alll the time in there.. I look at it like this the food good and the crew are the best… dont worry about fran’s it wont stop the good people from going there it sure wont stop me or my friend and if it stop’s other people then let them go other places… there is a lot of thing i seen on here that is not right to say but all i have to say is WANT GOOD FOOD GO TO FRAN”S i love all them there so keep doing some good cooking
love all ya’ll camie
I’m sure Fran is a wonderful person but I still say GROSS!!
i work in a mom and pops place. there are no problems like this there. we all work hard to take care of the building, each other and our customers. there is no reason to see the things on the inspection if this counrtry grill really appreciated her community, it wouldnt have had to be ” closed for cleaning”. they might be nice people but you have to do what ever it is to keep the place up! sorry it happened. i guess fran should feel lucky that it hasn’t hurt her business! it is public knowledge is anyone wants to see it though!!
Ms. Fran and her whole crew are some of the nices people I know. They make Molino Folks look good. I think all of Ms. Fran’s fans should go this week all bring her a flower and show her that we are all still behind her. If you are a fan of Ms. Fran show up this week with a flower and show her what she means to our community. We love you Ms. Fran. : )
As a matter of fact I have seen the report. And so can you and anyone else. It is public knowledge. You can look up a health inspection for any business you would like to. You can also view past inspection reports on any resaurant as well. I have recently moved to the wonderful state of Alabama where resturaunts are required to post their inspection report and score. Which is a nice luxury to have. It may not be a law in Florida yet but you do have the right to check into it on your own.Again it’s PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE! Some of you may not care what any report says but for those of you who do here’s the link. http://www.myfloridalicense.com go to for consumers, search lodging and food inspections, search by name click on the name and it will bring up the list of reports. And you don’t have to see the kitchen when it’s on a health inspection report.
I am a vendor as well as a customer of Frans and get to see a lot of things that the regular customers don’t get to see.
I can tell you that I in all the years I have been making deliveries to this restaurnt I have never seen any reason not to eat here or reccomend this place to anyone.
I see a lot of restaurants on my route that have far more problems. I have watched health inspectors pass places that I would not even think of drinkig a glass of water out of, so I sure wouln’t eat there.
I have ate at Fran’s for years and I have NEVER seen anything close to what was decribed in the article. Her food is AWESOME!! Best sweet tea in town. Fran and crew keep up the good work. We will see you next week. Love Ya’ll
Fran has bent over backwards to help people any way she can in this community and I want her to know that I appreciate everything that she has done! Every restaraunt has this on going problem. I have never heard of anyone getting sick from eating there and she has great home cook food. Molino is a small religious town with a lot of gossip that gets spreads like wild fire without considering who they may be hurting in the process.
Fran, I am sorry this has taken place and I hope that you can forgive these people with small closed minds. I will continue to eat there and help you anyway I can!
Janice
guess we ought to install showers and sanitation stations for all the city folks that dont know about kuntry cookin’.and or living…..frans has NEVER been dirty always has been clean..name one eatery that has NEVER had a fly, roach or other critter situation or that had violations…better yet, let go to your house and do the same inspection and see if you pass….MS.Fran and crew KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK !!
ms fran ..we will be there arounf 5ish’!!
we loves ya
Good Bad and the Ugly!
No one would even know about an inspection, good or bad, but because someone saw or heard something and now people are talking!
First of all, make sure you have the FACTS! Did you see the report, did you see the kitchen….how did you get your information from anyway?
What place any where any time doesn’t have flies and/or rodents! Love Bugs are about to tote everyone away this time of year! Anywhere there is a door open flies can come in….were they under your hamburger bun? Did you find one in your whipped potatoes? Rodents are all over the earth. There again did ….did you find a roach on your table, did you see a rat on the floor?
Do you eat there, if you do then you have an opinion! If you don’t then you cannot make an informed judgement.
With 21 critical and 16 non critical violations how did everything get fixed in less than 24 hours in order to pass the 2nd inspection and reopen the VERY next day on Tuesday…..Great Job Fran and Crew for such decication to your customers and community to be able to open them doors so quickly for business.
Sounds like standard protocol…shut someone down turn around and allow them to open back up…..if it was that bad don’t you think they would have been closed longer than 24 hours to correct issues!
Will your kitchen pass inspection???????????
We eat at Fran’s regularly! The food is good, the service GREAT and Fran and her crew treats everyone like they are part of the family.
Fran you keep on cooking, we will keep on eating!
How can you keep roaches, flies, and rodents out of a building whose doors open hundreds of times a day. Not to mention all of the deliveries that come in. Keep on Cookin Ms Fran! we still lve your food!
Ive been there and I have NEVER seen anything like this. Mrs Frans hometown cooking has always been top notch for me and my family. What with these big town guys tryin to put the little guys down?! You havent lost any of MY clans’ buisness! Keep your head up Mrs Fran, see you Friday night!!
Come on folks, there are very few restaurants in Escambia County that have not had a bad Health Department review at least once. This is an old family owned business, Fran had poured her heart into her business and she is VERY proud of her business. Yes, my family and I eat at Frans four or five times a month. The food has always been good, the service always great. As far as I know no one has ever died from eating at Fran’s, so for over 50 years she must have been doing something right. Shoot, I bet some of the big box chain restaurants (that take money from our town) get a bad score from time to time. We all need to support our local businesses. Remember who has been in Molino all these years, Fran’s or the other guys?
Myself, my family and friends ….Good Gosh and half of Florida along with Alabama have, throughout the years, made dining at Fran’s a routine venture. I have seen the DOOR STOP mentioned and can say without hesitation it has NEVER been used on any of MY burgers!!!!!!This restaurant has always had a “Mayberry ,small town” appeal.Farmers comming in off their tractors,Hunters in from cold deer stands,Truckers headed for alittle taste of home.With the world today trying to ‘TAKE AMERICA DOWN”!!!!!THANK GOD we have diners such as Fran’s!!! Wonderful food with a familar family atmosphere,Always a friendly face!!!!See Yall Soon!!!!!!!!
very nasty and unclean to eat there
Yes,I wish Florida would post the scores like Alabama does. If you want to know where to eat,find the inspector and ask them where they eat or don’t eat!!
THATS VERY NASTY , GLAD I DONT EVER EAT THERE.
I agree with all three comments!!!! Post the scores!!!!!!
They should publish ALL restaurant scores
GROSS!!!
I sure would like it if Florida’s restaurant scores were posted there in the restaurant, like how I’ve seen it in Alabama.