Health inspections conducted by the Gwinnett, Newton & Rockdale County Health Departments on May 8 revealed violations of the food code at various establishments. Among them, one restaurant and one catering service failed the inspection after they scored below the minimum required 70 points. The establishments will now face a follow-up inspection.
As the violations were being revealed during the May 8 inspection, actions were taken to resolve most of them. The issues that remain to be solved will have to be corrected before the follow-up inspection. If the same violations are found during the follow-up inspection, it may result in permit suspension.
Please note that the scores mentioned here are from a particular inspection conducted on May 8 and may not represent the future health inspection status of the establishments.
Highlights
- Two food establishments, one catering service, and one restaurant failed the health inspections in Metro Atlanta on May 8.
- Both facilities lacked overall managerial control, which caused various violations, as per reports.
- Follow-up inspections have been scheduled, where both establishments will have to pass in order to retain the permit.
Chef Chang
- Where: 2645 N Berkeley Lake Rd NW, Building D, Suite 124, Duluth, GA 30096
- When: May 8, 2025
- Score: 63 (U)
Chef Chang, a catering service facility in Duluth, underwent the routine health inspection on May 8, between 11:10 AM and 3:40 PM. Inspectors reported violations of 11 provisions of the food code during the inspection. As there was a third consecutive violation that was reported, the restaurant’s permit was suspended and later reinstated after on-site training was provided.
The establishment had previously scored 70 points in a routine inspection on March 24 and faced a follow-up inspection on April 3, in which it scored 98 points.
The third consecutive violation in a routine inspection was marked as the person in charge at the facility was absent when the inspection began. The PIC arrived an hour later. The report also marked another violation, which stated that the risk factor violations at the establishment were a result of the PIC’s lack of managerial control.
Further, Employees were seen not washing their hands after using the restroom or returning from outside, before handling food. An employee was observed drinking from an unapproved bottle in the kitchen. They were also seen wearing jewelry while preparing food. Personal items of employees, like phones, medicine, and bags, were found in food prep and storage areas, the report said.
In issues concerning food storage, bean sprouts were stored above safe temperatures and had to be thrown away. Stir fry was not cooling fast enough and it had to be discarded. It was also left out on the counter instead of being handled using appropriate cooling methods.
The facility also lacked test strips to check sanitizer strength. Broken or missing tiles were found in the kitchen, marking a second consecutive violation. The full inspection report has been released online.
E.M. BOP
- Where: 2442 Pleasant Hill Rd, Suite 2, Duluth, GA 30096
- When: May 8, 2025
- Score: 59 (U)
The Korean BBQ restaurant, E.M. BOP, failed the health inspection that took place between 12 noon and 3 PM on Thursday, May 8. The restaurant scored unsatisfactorily in the health inspection after several violations of the food code were cited.
The inspection report began by stating that violations and low scores were a result of the person in charge not actively managing food safety at the restaurant.
Employee food that was kept open was found above a prep cooler, and it was removed to correct the issue. Several supposedly clean dishes still had food debris on them, the report noted.
Raw beef was stored above ready-to-eat food. The items were rearranged properly to correct the issue right away. Furthermore, multiple cold foods were being stored above 41°F and were thrown away.
Foods like salad and kimchi were missing labels with prep and discard times, and were thrown out, marking another violation and corrective action. Foods like tofu and cut lettuce had been stored for over 24 hours without date markings. They were then labeled correctly under the instruction of the inspectors.
A prep cooler was too warm, with the temperature reading at 47°F. It also had broken door gaskets, the report pointed out. Moreover, food items were found stored directly on the floor in the walk-in freezer and other areas.
Live flies were seen throughout the facility, indicating poor pest control. The detailed list of violations and corrective actions, along with additional comments, can be found in the original inspection report.
Follow-up Inspections Scheduled
Both Chef Chang and E.M. BOP have follow-up inspections scheduled. The inspection report for the former said that the follow-up will happen within 10 days, and for the latter, it will happen on or before May 16. E.M. BOP’s report also mentioned that a required additional routine inspection will take place before May 8, 2026.
Among the 29 food safety health inspections conducted by the GNR county health department on May 8, a total of 26 were routine inspections and 3 were follow-ups. 15 restaurants scored 100 points and 7 scored in the 90s, making the total of “A” grade restaurants 22. Further, 4 restaurants scored above 80, and one scored in the range of 70 and above.
