During the 2016-17 financial year, 37 convictions were recorded against 30 companies or individuals across Victoria, with $354,504 in fines issued. City Orchards received the highest fine issued to a Melbourne restaurant in the previous financial year. Creepy-crawlies and rodents seem to be at the root of the problem, as the most common food safety breach was taking "practicable measures to prevent pests entering the food premises". The most recent fine handed to a Melbourne restaurant was $15,000 charged to Spencer Pizza Kebab and cafe. The late-night eatery, which hawks greasy delights including pizza, kebabs, and burgers until the early hours of the morning, is known for its dedicated service to Melbourne's intoxicated masses.

The cafe's owner Ankush Gubt said the council's inspections were fair and that he had taken steps to pay the fine. The restaurant is known for its unlimited dumpling Mondays. "The problems were fixed last year," he said, adding that he was concerned the conviction was bad for business. City Orchids Garden, known for its unlimited dumpling Mondays, was awarded the highest fine in Melbourne during 2017. The low-cost Chinese eatery in Little Bourke Street was fined a total of $30,000 and recorded three convictions for eight offences.



Common problems included pests, contamination and cleanliness, including failure to "eradicate and prevent the harbourage of pests," and an "accumulation of food waste; dirt; grease; or other visible matter".

Its owners were contacted for comment but did not respond. In the 2016-17 financial year there were seven prosecutions by the City of Melbourne under the Food Act. There have already been five prosecutions in the first half of the 2017-18 financial year.



Prosecutions are launched when issues found during an inspection are not resolved by the time the council conducts follow-up visits. Frankston had the second highest number of convictions, and is also home to Victoria's worst repeat offender of last year. The Big Dog Diner amassed a whopping $70,000 in fines across its Bendigo and Frankston restaurants, and was convicted three separate times throughout the year for failing to comply to a variety of food standard codes. The restaurant was convicted for selling food past its use-by date, failing to store potentially hazardous food under temperature control, and failing to ensure that food contact surfaces were in a clean and sanitary condition.

It was also served a closure order in September, but continued to operate. The data is sourced from the State Government's Food Convictions Register, which aims to name and shame restaurants convicted of Food Act offences. There are 23 convicted restaurants listed on the site for 2017, but Victoria's Food Safety Unit spokesman Graeme Walker advises that the number of convictions is probably higher. "Past practise indicates that there might be a small number of convicted restaurants in the pipeline, waiting to be listed," he said.