Food prep table used as tattoo bed? State College eatery hit with health code violations
Gumby’s Pizza and Wings temporarily closed Friday after a health technician found three health code violations, including an employee using a food preparation table as a tattoo bed.
The violation may have led to food contamination, as blood “could have sprayed onto food contact surfaces, or the dough mixer,” health technician Brian O’Donnell wrote in his two-page report.
The borough also cited the downtown State College business, located at 300 S. Pugh St., for failing to notify borough officials of an imminent health hazard.
The restaurant’s ownership was replaced because of the violations, while the employees directly involved and their supervisor were fired, the business wrote Saturday in a Facebook post.
Their actions were “flagrantly inappropriate, unsanitary and blatantly illegal,” the business wrote. The business is considering legal action for endangering the public’s safety, according to the post.
“Our customers and the community were placed at risk, and we are ashamed and deeply sorry for our failure,” the business wrote. “We take fully responsibility for this error.”
All surfaces, equipment and tools were cleaned and all food that may have come into contact with any contaminated materials were disposed.
“The damage done to your trust in our business will be substantially more difficult to repair, and on that front, we can do little more than offer our profound apologies, reaffirm our dedication to our community and promise that nothing like this will ever happen again,” the business wrote. “We make no excuses for this gross violation, and we hope you can see through to forgiving us.”
Gumby’s was the third State College restaurant to temporarily close this month because of health code violations.
Five Guys, 226 W. College Ave., was cited for not having hot water available to provide proper sanitation. Playa Bowls, 482 E. Calder Way, had 11 violations ranging from improper protection from contamination to inadequate physical facilities.
Both eateries corrected the violations and reopened after passing a second inspection.