Canyon Pizza, a Penn State icon, temporarily closed due to multiple health code violations
Canyon Pizza, an icon when it comes to cheap eats in downtown State College, has been closed — at least temporarily — after committing more than a dozen health code violations, one of which characterized the kitchen and other areas as “extremely dirty.”
It’s not yet known how long it might take the pizzeria to fix the violations, which shut the restaurant down Tuesday. And it’s uncertain when Canyon Pizza might reopen.
According to the report, which is publicly available online, between 13 and 15 violations were outlined during the annual inspection and forced the restaurant out of compliance. At least three were repeat violations — including an unscreened exhaust fan that did not protect against the entry of insects and rodents.
Among the other violations at 219 E. Beaver Ave. (with a complete list at the bottom):
- Deli ham and commercially processed ready-to-eat food was not being marked with the date it was opened or the date it should be discarded.
- Food preparation and trays were kept under a table with peeling paint and drywall damage.
- The food preparation area was exposed under a “dirty ceiling, pipes and ducts” with visible dust hanging from the ceiling in what could amount to “potential contamination.”
- The sink, toilet, walls and floors were “soiled” in the employee bathroom.
- The hood system is in need of a professional cleaning and is not currently adequate to remove heat and/or grease, “as evidenced by condensate and/or grease collecting on the walls, ceilings and fixtures.”
- The floors, walls and the ceiling in the kitchen, food prep and warewashing area were “extremely dirty, dusty and in need of cleaning.”
- The pizza prep cooler has standing water, mold and food debris in the interior base.
Many of the violations appeared to stem from cleanliness, with some areas not sealed with cleanable surfaces and others showing a lack of attention to detail. For instance, the dough mixer was covered in dried-on oil and flour, and a sink was leaking water due to an insufficient weld.
Over the previous two years, Canyon Pizza’s annual inspection also took place in November and was conducted by the same inspector. The business was not closed during those other inspections, as it committed two violations in 2020 and four in 2021.
Canyon Pizza first opened in 2001 and fast became a Penn State student favorite with its late-night hours and cheap slices.
A sign from the borough was posted on the front door of the business Wednesday morning that read,” CLOSED” in large letters, followed with “by the order of the State College Borough Neighborhood and Community Services/Division of Health.” The sign can only be removed by the borough’s health officer.
