Sticky floors, dozens of fruit flies, old food, food stored directly on the floor, employees who ignored hand-washing rules, missing records, mold and more are among violations state inspectors discovered during recent food safety and lodging inspections in the Wichita area.
Each week, The Eagle adds to its searchable database of failed inspections from Sedgwick County. Eleven restaurants, hotels and other businesses were non-compliant with state regulations from Aug. 2-8.
Inspectors found few or no violations that week at more than 70 other locations deemed compliant with food safety and lodging rules.
Kansas Department of Agriculture inspections are meant to protect the public from foodborne illnesses and other health risks. Locations can fail if they have too many problems, certain types of violations or issues that can’t be fixed right away.
Violations are common. Most of the time, they’re corrected in front of an inspector. Examples of things that can be addressed immediately include serving food that’s more than a week old, employees mishandling ingredients and dirty kitchens. Issues that may take longer to correct include pest infestations, power outages and plumbing problems.
It’s rare, but a business may be temporarily shut down over violations.
Locations that fail are usually reinspected within 10 days.
The list in this report was compiled on Aug. 19 using information available from the state on that date. It covers Sedgwick County only.
But you can search food safety and lodging inspection results elsewhere in Kansas at https://portal.kda.ks.gov/Food/FoodInspectionSearch.
Out-of-compliance inspections
11:11 Coquetry Mason, 105 S. Emporia in Wichita — Three violations on Aug. 3 during a complaint inspection. No written plan for cleaning up vomit or diarrhea, no thermometer available, kitchen hand-washing sink and three-compartment sink cannot be used due to a broken grease trap. The next inspection date wasn’t listed.
Afton Motel, 855 S. Broadway in Wichita — Seven violations on Aug. 5 during a complaint inspection. No single-use gloves available in laundry room, outlets next to kitchen sink and bathroom sink are not GFCI outlets, no soap or paper towels available in laundry room, no records showing carbon monoxide detector is checked every six months, no evacuation diagram posted in guest room, no logs showing smoke detectors are checked every six months, microwave in guest room is completely rusted through bottom. The next inspection date wasn’t listed.
Braum’s Ice Cream & Dairy Store, 2121 N. Ridge Road in Wichita — Three violations on Aug. 7 during a routine inspection. Employee handled raw burgers and raw chicken tenders then placed cheese on burgers without washing hands, caramelized onions and jalapenos were not kept hot enough, liquid eggs and raw bacon were not kept cold enough. The next inspection date wasn’t listed.
Gyoza Bar, 6428 E. Central in Wichita — Eight violations on Aug. 6 during a follow-up inspection. Raw eggs were stored above ready-to-eat foods, soup and broth was not kept hot enough, food stored on floor, old whipped cream, restaurant was vacuum sealing fish and cooked beef tongue without approval, kale and daikon radishes were stored in non-food-grade plastic bags. The next inspection date wasn’t listed.
Howard Johnson Inn by Wyndham Wichita Airport, 6575 W. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — Eleven violations on Aug. 7 during complaint and licensing-operational inspections for both food safety and lodging. No three-vat sink available to wash and sanitize ice buckets and other food containers, no test strips available to check sanitizer, no ice bucket liner in guest room, no logs showing carbon monoxide detectors are checked every six months, no evacuation diagram posted in guest rooms, smoke detectors did not work in guest rooms, no records showing smoke alarms are checked every six months, no written plan for cleaning up vomit or diarrhea, no three vat sink available, no food thermometer available, no test kit available to check sanitizer concentration when washing food containers and ice buckets. Next inspection: Aug. 17.
Kwik Shop, 2750 S. Oliver in Wichita — Four violations on Aug. 5 during a complaint inspection. Slight buildup of debris in cabinet under coffee machines, insect tape trap hanging above food, approximately 60 fruit flies behind soda machine, buildup of debris and standing water on floor behind soda machine. Next inspection: Aug. 27.
P&G Corner, 2265 S. Greenwich in Wichita — Three violations on Aug. 6 during a routine inspection. Cheese stick and chicken were not kept cold enough, missing food safety plan, breakfast pizza that should have been thrown away was found inside a cooler. The next inspection date wasn’t listed.
Smoothie King, 1861 E. Madison, Suite 600 in Derby — Five violations on Aug. 7 during a complaint inspection. Food scoop handles were stored in food, blenders weren’t cleaned often enough, mold in water spray nozzle, water shut off to hand-washing sink, pipe below sink was not attached, sticky floors throughout store. The next inspection date wasn’t listed.
Subway, 1207 S. Tyler Road in Wichita — One violation on Aug. 7 during a routine inspection. Chicken, cold cuts, lettuce and black olives were not kept cold enough. Next inspection: Aug. 17.
Twin Peaks (listed under 3B Lodge IV), 8310 E. 21st St. in Wichita — Four violations on Aug. 7 during a complaint inspection. Server adjusted shorts then touched plate of food without washing hands, cracked and dirty spatula, dirty equipment in clean storage, dishes were washed without sanitizer. The next inspection date wasn’t listed.
Wasabi Hinkaku, 912 E. Douglas in Wichita — Four violations on Aug. 4 during a complaint inspection. Missing records, several foods were not kept cold enough, foods were not labeled with the times they were left out at room temperature, bottle of window cleaner was hanging on shelf above green tea, chemical bottle placed on prep table with nozzles directly above gloves and food wrap. The next inspection date wasn’t listed.
Where to complain
If you see problems at a food or lodging establishment, you can file a complaint.
To notify the state about unsavory or questionable conditions anywhere that serves or sells food to the public, email kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767. You can also file a complaint at www.foodsafetykansas.org.
To report an illness you think was caused by a restaurant, food or event where food was served, contact the Kansas Department of Health and Environment at 877-427-7317 or www.foodsafetykansas.org.
Complaints about conditions at hotels and motels can be submitted at www.agriculture.ks.gov/public-resources/comments-complaints/lodging-complaint.
For more information about foodborne illnesses, visit www.foodsafety.gov.
Note: Sometimes addresses listed — especially for mobile vendors and food trucks — are not where food is actually served to the public. Contact those establishments directly for specific service locations.
The violation summaries were compiled and drafted with the help of AI tools. They were fact-checked for accuracy and edited by Wichita Eagle journalists.
Amy Renee Leiker
The Wichita Eagle
Amy Renee Leiker has been reporting for The Wichita Eagle since 2010. She covers crime, courts and breaking news and updates the newspaper’s online databases. She’s a mom of three and loves to read in her non-work time. Reach her at 316-268-6644 or at aleiker@wichitaeagle.com.
Dining and Cooking