Dean & Deluca Cited for 8 Critical Violations, Including Rat, Mice Droppings

Update 5:15 p.m. Thursday

Dean & Deluca re-opened the market section of its M Street business Thursday. The outdoor cafe remains closed. The company released a statement Thursday evening. Read it here.

Original Post

Dean & Deluca, 3276 M St. NW, was closed Wednesday and cited for eight critical and 11 non-critical health violations during an inspection by the DC Department of Health (DOH) Wednesday.

If a business is cited for six or more critical violations that cannot be corrected on site during the inspection, the business is automatically suspended and closed, according to DOH policy.

Among the more cringe-worthy issues found during the inspection Wednesday was the presence of pests and pest droppings:

"Live birds, rat droppings and mice droppings found inside of the cafe behind the soda reach-in refrigerators and towards the back next to the rest rooms. Live roaches and mice droppings cited around the cheese section in the customer service and product display area," according to the report.

In another corrective action, the inspectors recommended that the business, "Seal holes located underneath the sinks inside the prepared food station to eliminate vermin access and possible harborage."

Other issues included improperly stored food, improper temperatures in fridges and/or missing thermometers, employees not wearing hair restraints, etc.

Read the full report here.

The store had several health violations during inspections in August and September, but was not closed during either inspection, The Hoya reports.

Patch has reached out to Dean & Deluca for comment, but has not received a response.

More:

• Dean & Deluca Closed for 'Imminent Health Hazard'