State: Bowling alley's bar area closed due to 'paper towels with fecal matter' on floor
A bowling alley near Prices Corner was closed by the health department after an inspector found "paper towels with fecal matter" on the floor of the bar area, according to an inspection report.
Bowlero, at 3215 Kirkwood Highway in Wilmington, was ordered by the Division of Public Health on Jan. 4 to close its bar area until "cleaning and sanitation of floors, walls, ceilings and materials for food/drink preparation have been completed," the inspector wrote in the report.
The bowling alley was allowed to reopen its bar area on Monday.
Bowlero Corporation said in a statement on Wednesday that its staff has "taken the necessary steps to ensure that our bowling alley is consistent with local and regional safety standards.”
“This is top priority for us as we’re preparing to celebrate our grand opening event next Saturday and we’re excited to welcome the community to a new age of bowling and entertainment," the company said in the statement.
The Division of Public Health had received a complaint that there was a sewage backup in the facility, the report said.
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On Friday, an inspector found evidence of a sewage backup on the floor under the bar area counter, the report said. Disintegrated paper towels were seen on the floor of the bar area.
During the inspection, the manager on site told the inspector that the sewage backup occurred earlier this week, but said "the area was cleaned." The manager also said customers have been "flushing paper towels in the toilet, which has caused issues with plumbing," the inspector wrote in the report.
Construction tools were found nearby the bar area with contractor employees "actively working," the report said. A "fine layer of dust/debris was found on the bar countertop."
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An inspector wrote in the report that all glassware must be cleaned and sanitized and any uncovered alcohol must be thrown away.
When the inspector returned to the business later that afternoon, the official saw that a drain under the right side of the handwash sink was not cleaned and "still contained remnants of soiled paper towels from sewage backup."
The inspector also saw other areas under the bar equipment that had dust debris, the report said. The official also spotted an "entire area of glassware with visible dust debris that appears uncleaned."
The general manager indicated to the inspector that he was "unaware there were two drains under the bar area. He also indicated the unclean glasses are not used "so he forgot to clean them," the report said.
During the inspection, an employee began cleaning the drain immediately.
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The inspector wrote in the followup report that the bar "must remain CLOSED throughout the weekend and must undergo a deep extensive cleaning of the entire bar area."
The business was told to rewash all glassware, remove all alcohol and clean and sanitize the counters, the report said. All equipment behind the bar must be "thoroughly cleaned and sanitized including handsinks ... refrigeration, soda dispensers and countertops."
When the inspector returned to Bowlero on Monday, the official saw that the bar area, equipment, countertops and floors were cleaned and sanitized. There was also no evidence of a sewage backup.
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Last summer, The News Journal learned The Division of Public Health, which oversees the safety and cleanliness of 4,000 Delaware businesses, had not been posting new health inspections online since May 2017.
Officials said they are working to modernize the system and they said an online database should be available again to the public in February.
Every week since August, The News Journal has been requesting information from the state and has learned at least 48 businesses had been forced to close temporarily in 2018 for various health code violations. Some establishments were forced to shut down immediately due to imminent health hazards and gross, unsanitary conditions.
Bowlero is the second known business to be ordered closed in 2019. Semo's, a downtown Wilmington restaurant that serves lamb gyros, was temporarily closed on Jan. 2. and reopened the next day.
Customers who want to anonymously report unsanitary conditions at Delaware food establishments and restaurants can call a consumer complaint hotline at 302-744-4736. Inspectors follow up on complaints.
Contact Meredith Newman at (302) 324-2386 or mnewman@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @MereNewman. Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico.
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