GARDNER — The Burger King on Crawford Street underwent a re-inspection by the Gardner Health Department after failing an initial health inspection last month, according to The Gardner News. The follow-up visit found that while some violations had been corrected, five remained, including four core violations and one priority foundation violation related to cleanliness and food safety.
Angela DiPrima, assistant director of Public Health, conducted the re-inspection on March 12 to assess whether the restaurant had addressed the nine core violations and one priority foundation violation cited in the original inspection on February 26. The first inspection was prompted by videos posted in the Facebook group, “Gardner, Massachusetts: What’s going on?”, which showed a leaky roof and unsanitary conditions inside the restaurant.
One video shows three buckets placed in the kitchen to catch water leaking from the ceiling, with a caption alleging that the water drips into the food. Another video depicts food stored in a flip-top station, accompanied by a caption claiming that the fast-food chain reuses old ingredients and leaves them uncovered throughout the day.
Inspection Findings
According to the re-inspection report, the roof leak seen in the viral video had been fixed. However, five violations remained, including one priority foundation violation and four core violations.
A Priority Foundation Item refers to a violation involving inadequate policies or procedures, which, if not corrected, could lead to a more serious Priority Item that poses a risk of foodborne illness or injury—such as failing to implement regular food temperature checks. A Core Item is a violation that does not directly cause foodborne illness but still fails to meet state and federal food safety standards, like a damaged surface in a non-food preparation area.
Remaining Violations
The priority foundation violation involved the ice machine, which was still not sufficiently clean. The report stated that the machine needed to be emptied, cleaned, and sanitized, and its water lines must also be cleaned. This violation was flagged for immediate correction.
The four core violations cited in the re-inspection report included:
- Floors in the kitchen, walk-in cooler, freezer, and dining room were still not adequately cleaned, with a buildup of grease and debris.
- Areas under and around equipment remained heavily soiled.
- The exterior of the ice machine was still unclean.
- Thermometers were not present in the walk-in cooler.
The Gardner Health Department has ordered the restaurant to correct the remaining violations within 30 days, with the ice machine requiring immediate cleaning and sanitization, according to the inspection report.
Burger King management has not publicly commented on the inspection findings.
