Low Sanitation Grade Closes Hillsborough Street Restaurant

A Raleigh restaurant has been shut down due to a low sanitation grade.

A sign on the door says that Gumby's Pizza on Hillsborough Street is closed because of oven and electrical issue, but WRAL's 5 on Your Side found out there is much more behind the shutdown.

The most serious violation cited by the inspector was food-temperature concerns. The inspector noted a lot of cheese, chicken wings and other food was being left at potentially dangerous temperatures.

The restaurant scored a 70.5 in June, barely a C grade. Then in mid-September, a manager requested a re-inspection.

In June, the inspector had said equipment needed to be replaced or repaired, but it wasn't. The inspector also said he told the manager a cheese shredder needed to be cleaned before it was used again. A couple of hours later, the manager used it anyway, according to the inspector.

Another violation noted by the inspector was condensation dripping onto the food prep line. Food storage containers were also said to be dirty, surfaces dusty. And despite previous requests for equipment repair, the inspector said nothing was done.

The score given by the inspector was a 60.5. Gumby's was closed until further notice. WRAL tried to contact the local operator as well as the chain's president and vice president in Florida, but was unable to reach them. The inspector plans to meet Tuesday with the local owners.