TEWKSBURY — The Tewksbury Board of Health voted unanimously Sept. 17 to continue the suspension of Jimbo’s Roast Beef and Seafood’s food permit, citing a history of repeated food-code violations and concerns that the restaurant’s physical space and current operations are not adequate to maintain food-safety standards.
The decision followed a public hearing involving restaurant owner Harkirat Singh, food-safety consultant Rajit Gupta and son of the building’s owner, Sotiris Angelakis. The board emphasized throughout the hearing that its goal was not to punish the business, but to ensure that any reopening is based on a plan that can be maintained over time.
Jimbo’s, located at 616 Main St., has faced food-safety issues for several years. According to the Health Department’s review, the restaurant was closed in 2018 and again in 2020 because of repeat violations.
Following the 2020 closure, the restaurant was required to work with a consultant, train employees and maintain cleaning, temperature and sanitation logs.
The restaurant was administratively closed again in 2024 and the Health Department said problems continued into 2025, leading to weekly inspections and warnings that the food permit could be suspended.
Health officials also raised concerns about changes made to the restaurant since its original plans were approved
in 2007. The department said there was no record of plans or building permits for some of the changes and questioned whether the current layout provides sufficient space for food preparation, storage and dishwashing.
Among the concerns discussed were food and equipment being stored in inappropriate locations, cutting boards on the floor, employee belongings in refrigeration areas and the lack of appropriate space for dishes to air-dry. Officials also questioned the availability of an adequate prep sink and mop sink and raised concerns about hot water capacity.
“How can you wash vegetables without a prep sink?” questioned Health Director Shannon Gillis.
Member Christine Janeczak, referring to photos of the conditions, called it “disgusting.”
Singh told the board that he had stepped away from the Tewksbury operation while expanding other businesses and that an arrangement with a manager had not worked out. He said he now intends to be more directly involved with Jimbo’s.
Singh also said he plans to reduce and change the restaurant’s menu. He told the board the menu previously submitted to the Health Department was not necessarily the final version and said he wants Jimbo’s to become one of the best restaurants in town.
Gupta, who has worked with Singh at another restaurant, said he believes additional training and stronger managerial involvement can address many of the problems. He also said staff turnover and a lack of active managerial control have contributed to the violations.
Angelakis said the owner wants to work cooperatively with the restaurant and the Health Department to facilitate a reopening. The representative also said Singh’s physical presence at the restaurant would be important.
The board felt that the owner had been in front of them several times with assurances, but clearly nothing has improved. The board emphasized their approach as educational, but public safety must take priority.
The board ultimately voted 4-0 to continue the suspension until specific conditions are met. Those conditions include working with a food consultant, making necessary renovations to provide appropriate storage, handwashing and food-preparation areas, adding appropriate dish-drying and mop-sink facilities and addressing equipment needs.
The restaurant must also submit a formal action plan, including cleaning and sanitation procedures, procedures for cleaning and sanitizing the roast beef slicer, temperature-monitoring logs and other food-safety measures.
Gillis will review the work and determine whether the conditions have been satisfied before the permit can be reinstated. The board did not establish a specific reopening deadline because some of the work will require renovations and formal plan review.
The Health Director said the restaurant’s repeated history has made it difficult to simply rely on assurances that the problems will be corrected.
Board members stressed that the conditions are intended to establish a sustainable system of compliance rather than provide a temporary fix.
Dining and Cooking