Roaches on grill, fryer close Ciao Pizza in Prices Corner

Patricia Talorico , Meredith Newman | The News Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Headlines November 7, 2019 Here are some of the top stories we're following for Thursday November 7, 2019.

Roaches crawling on a grill, cookline and in a fryer at Ciao Pizza forced the state health department Wednesday to close the longtime Prices Corner Shopping Center eatery.

Doors were locked Thursday morning, and a handwritten white sign on the door read, "Sorry!! We're Closed."

On top of it was an orange sign reading, "Closed by Order of Delaware Health and Social Services Effective Date Nov. 6."

No one answered the phone Thursday at the pizzeria, and an owner could not be immediately reached.

An inspection report requested Thursday morning by Delaware Online/The News Journal said the business was shut down due to an imminent health hazard of a roach infestation and "gross, unsanitary conditions."

MORE SHUT DOWNS: Wilmington Chinese restaurant closed after roach spotted crawling into to-go container

Ciao Pizza & Pasta, located in the Prices Corner Shopping Center at 3218 Kirkwood Highway, has been serving customers for more than 30 years.

A state health inspector visited the pizzeria Wednesday morning after receiving a complaint that the food establishment was "very dirty" and had roaches.

According to the report, the inspector saw both live and dead roaches and said food contact surfaces "were not clean."

Live roaches could be seen on the floor of a food preparation area and crawling on the wall of the dining room, in addition to the cookline, the fryer and under the grill. A dead roach also was in the grill trap area.

The report said "the general sanitation" of the pizzeria was "satisfactory."

The report also said an unnamed pizzeria operator told the inspector that he was "aware of a roach issue" and had been working monthly with a pest service. The operator said after the last treatment on Oct. 13, he closed early and cleaned the establishment, a practice he said he had been doing nightly.

According to the health inspection report, the last pest service visit indicated roaches were "in walls and equipment."

SEARCH THE DELAWARE RESTAURANT INSPECTION DATABASE

A health inspector wrote that before the pizzeria is allowed to open, owners must clean and sanitize the entire establishment and all equipment, including shelves and must throw away containers and pizza to-go boxes.

All food must be removed from cook and prep lines, and a pest service must visit weekly.

The pizzeria will be allowed to reopen when no roaches are observed by a health inspector, according to the report.

Nearly 60 Delaware food establishments have been ordered closed by the state this year.

Delaware Online/The News Journal has created an online database for readers to view those inspection reports because the state again delayed its online database.

The News Journal has learned more than 120 food establishments have been ordered to close by the state's health department since 2017.

Customers who want to anonymously report unsanitary conditions at Delaware food establishments and restaurants can call a hotline at (302) 744-4736.

Inspectors follow up on complaints.

Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico Contact Meredith Newman at (302) 324-2386 or mnewman@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @MereNewman.