UPDATE: The cafeteria at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center aced a follow-up health inspection Thursday, a week after receiving a 61/U.
“Corrective action was immediately taken to address the issues identified by the health department during the routine inspection on August 1,” county spokesman Joe Sorenson said.
“The County will continue to work with The Smurti Corporation to ensure that a high standard of service is provided to jurors, employees, and guests at GJAC.”
The Smurti Corporation has been contracted to run the cafeteria, known as One Stop Cafe, for several years.
ORIGINAL STORY, published Aug. 2: The cafeteria at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center — where many county employees, jurors and other visitors eat every day — failed its recent health inspection.
During the Thursday morning evaluation, an inspector noted "mold-like accumulations" in the drink machine's ice chute and reported seeing a "kitchen supervisor engaged in food prep with wound flesh cuts on both hands and not wearing impermeable covers."
The cafeteria, known as “One Stop Cafe,” received a 61/U.
A message sent to all county employees Thursday afternoon said corrective action was being taken immediately.
The county said the Smurti Corporation, the vendor contracted to run the cafeteria for the last several years, was retraining all of its employees.
“Prior to this inspection, the One Stop Cafe has averaged a score of 89.6; however, this latest score is unacceptable and the County is actively working with The Smurti Corporation to provide the high-quality service that jurors, courthouse visitors, and employees should expect,” the county’s message said.
The Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center houses many of the county's administrative and government offices, as well as most of its courts system. Each day, thousands of people either work at or visit the building, which is in the middle of a $75 million expansion.
Additional violations reported from Thursday’s health inspection at the facility’s cafeteria included grab-and-go food items not being kept cold enough in a display cooler; food containers being improperly stored on the floor of a walk-in cooler; and unlabeled containers of sanitizer and detergent.
The inspector also reported seeing an employee wiping their hands with sanitizing towels intended for use only on counters and equipment.
A follow-up inspection will be completed within 10 days.
The drink machine mold issue reported Thursday marked the second consecutive inspection with such a violation. A third violation could result in the cafeteria’s permit being suspended, health officials said.
The county’s message to employees said the cafeteria’s ice machine would be cleaned Friday morning and that, moving forward, it would be serviced monthly rather than quarterly. It also said that display coolers would be unavailable “until they can be certified to maintain the proper food storage temperatures.”
Records show the cafeteria received a 94/A during its previous inspection in May and an 83/B during a Oct. 2018 inspection.
