Northern Star, a coffee shop in historic Norcross, recently had its food permit suspended following a second failing health score.
There were several repeat code violations including a cooler that was too warm, excessive debris around the kitchen equipment and employees handling ready-to-eat foods with bare hands.
The Gwinnett County health inspector said better managerial control was needed to ensure food safety.
Northern Star, 45 S. Peachtree St., Norcross, scored 59/U on the routine inspection. Previous scores were 86/B and 61/U on inspections in May.
The food permit was suspended following the inspection, but then reinstated after managers and staff met and created a plan of action to prevent repeated code violations.
Points were taken off when an employee handled French toast without wearing gloves or using a utensil. The food was discarded.
The dessert display cooler was too warm and needed maintenance, the inspector said. Cheesecake inside was at an unsafe temperature and was discarded.
Sausage links and melted butter in the prep area were also at unsafe temperatures and were thrown away. There was no documentation showing how long these potentially hazardous foods had been left out from refrigeration.
The floors had excessive debris underneath and behind the kitchen equipment. Walls had food residue and stains from spills. Some of the ceiling tile had mildew and water stains and need replacing, the inspector said.
Several files were observed around dirty linens stored inside the kitchen.
Northern Star will be re-inspected.
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