MANETTE — The Boat Shed restaurant has reopened after being shut down earlier this week because of a rat infestation.

The Kitsap Public Health District, responding to a complaint, found rodent feces under the kitchen cooking equipment, under the dishwashing area and in the server food preparation area near the entrance to the kitchen. The rear door was found unsecured allowing for the possibility of rodents getting in.

Health officials issued a temporary closure notice Wednesday but cleared the popular waterfront restaurant to re-open on Friday.

"Much to my surprise and thanks, so many people pitched in and we got it back open in basically a day," said owner Brett Hayfield. "We did a ton of work in that time."

Health officials ordered the restaurant to use a professional pest control company to help get rid of the rodents and to certify the Boat Shed was sanitized and rodent-free.

During the inspection Wednesday, rodent feces also was found in a large storage shed on the property, according to the health district report.

Two dead rats were found in the storage area along with a bag of flour that had been chewed through. And there was other evidence of rodents chewing through barriers to get at food.

Both the restaurant building and the storage shed had numerous holes and cracks in walls, floors and ceilings that would allow for rodent access, the report stated. The Boat Shed was ordered to seal all holes.

Health officials required all contaminated food to be disposed of. Dry goods were to be stored in hard plastic containers.

In addition to the rats, health inspectors found pesticides on the property, a violation of state health law.

A follow-up inspection Friday afternoon found no evidence of rodents, and the restaurant was authorized to re-open.

The Boat Shed, which Hayfield has owned and operated for 40 years, is perched on pilings overlooking Port Washington Narrows. While the waterfront view is a draw, proximity to the shoreline makes the possibility of rodents an ongoing problem, Hayfield said.

After Wednesday's health inspection, he asked the city of Bremerton to shore up a compromised bulkhead that is owned by the city. Workers promptly came down and sealed the bulkhead.

"It wasn't just a Boat Shed issue," Hayfield said. "We're very concerned obviously, and we're doing the best we can. We got a lot done in a day-and-a-half and the city was a big part of it."

Inspectors on Friday noted that there was still a sizable accumulation of unused equipment "and general junk" inside the storage shed "which could provide harborage for rodents." Inspectors required the equipment to be removed from the premises as soon as possible.

Chris Henry reports on education and community news for the Kitsap Sun. Reach her at (360) 792-9219 or christina.henry@kitsapsun.com.