Rochester Chinese restaurant closed for "public health and safety hazards"

(ABC 6 News) – A southeast Rochester Chinese restaurant closed at the beginning of the month because of "public health and safety hazards."

A sign posted at Hunan Chinese Restaurant said the restaurant was in violation of Minnesota Food Rules 4626. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Food Rules 4626 "are the standards with which food establishments must comply in the handling, storing, preparation and service of food to the retail food consumer."

The restaurant has been closed since Jan. 1 and will remain closed until a representative of Olmsted County Public Health deems it appropriate to re-open and remove the notice.

ABC 6 News reached out to Olmsted County Public Health for more information on the violations found at the restaurant. In an email OCPHS said:

Effective January 1, 2022, Hunan Chinese Restaurant, located at 844 S. Broadway, Rochester, MN, has closed. The establishment had not applied for a license renewal as of January 1, and due to recurring failures to actively manage food safety risks, Olmsted County Public Health Services (OCPHS) did not renew this establishment’s food and beverage license. Before the establishment was notified that its license renewal would be denied, OCPHS implemented various consultation and enforcement options, including active management education.

The restaurant will not be allowed to open under the previous ownership due to patterned non-compliance. They were given multiple opportunities to demonstrate sustained food safety within the facility but failed to do so.

The restaurant also had its license suspended on two occasions in 2021. After both occasions, following work with a food safety consultant and the county, the establishment was able to open again. However, the establishment was inspected on an increased frequency based on its history of non-compliance. After multiple inspections and re-inspections of the establishment, the decision was made to deny any future license renewal requests under the current ownership due to ineffective food safety management.