Grand Buffet

According to Florida Statute 509.035; an emergency closure is not a disciplinary action, but rather an action taken to mitigate conditions that pose an elevated risk to the health, safety or welfare of the public or the establishment's employees. The licensee is closed until the conditions are corrected. Examples of conditions warranting immediate closure include: lack of approved utilities or hot water, sewage backups or overflows, fire damage, pest infestation or inadequate refrigeration.

A 24-hour callback inspection will be performed after an emergency closure or emergency suspension of license. The establishment may reopen only when a division inspection shows that all critical violations that caused the suspension are corrected.

The Division of Hotels and Restaurants conducts regular inspections of public food service establishments to assure compliance with state sanitation and safety laws.

Grand Buffet either allowed conditions to exist that pose an immediate threat to the public's health and safety or repeatedly did not correct non-critical violations noted during routine and call-back inspections, despite being given oral and written warnings and ample time to do so.

Each of the listed cases involves either a signed stipulation (“settlement”) between the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and Grand Buffet or a Final Order issued after a formal administrative hearing has been conducted. Section 509.261, Florida Statutes, authorizes the Division of Hotels and Restaurants to fine, suspend or revoke the license of establishments that do not comply with state health and safety laws.

According to Florida Statute 509.292; an operator may not knowingly and willfully misrepresent the identity of any food or food product to any of the patrons of such establishment.

The identity of food or a food product is misrepresented if:

1. The description of the food or food product is false or misleading in any particular;
2. The food or food product is served, sold, or distributed under the name of another food or food product; or
3. The food or food product purports to be or is represented as a food or food product that does not conform to a definition of identity and standard of quality if such definition of identity and standard of quality has been established by custom and usage.