Update as of Aug. 15, 2017: Sushi Zensai's Fort Collins location improved in a follow-up inspection Aug.10. The only citation listed in the follow-up inspection was grime found on the ice machine. Read the results of Loveland's follow-up inspection.

Original story posted Aug. 2, 2017: Local sushi chain has multiple health violations

A local sushi chain racked up multiple health code violations at both its stores in July.

Sushi Zensai restaurants in Fort Collins and Loveland each received inadequate ratings from Larimer County inspectors during routine surprise reviews in the month. Inadequate is the lowest of five possible one-word ratings given, a designation given on about two percent of all inspections.

Moldy peppers, dirty cooking utensils, a propped open kitchen back door and undocumented seafood sourcing were among violations cited on July 26 at the 223 Linden St. location in Old Town Fort Collins.

Raw chicken and cabbage being stored on the floor, employees re-using single-use gloves, plumbing issues and floors stained with soda syrups were among items cited on July 18 at the 198 E 29th St. location in Loveland. The restaurant was also marked for listing crab on its menu but using a fish-based imitation crab instead.

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Both locations were cited for employees eating and drinking in the kitchen, storing chemicals next to food, cooling food at too high of temperatures and using old Sriracha bottles as soap dispensers.

"We have been working hard to fix the issues at both places," said Tony You, one of Sushi Zensai's managers and the son of Korean-born restaurant owners Kan and Okju You. "We are confident our next inspections will go much better."

Many of the violations were corrected on site by inspectors. Tarnished food was thrown away immediately.

Follow-up inspections are scheduled soon to make sure practices have improved.

Since the start of 2016, the Loveland Sushi Zensai location has had 17 visits from Larimer County inspectors. The restaurant received three inadequate ratings, three marginal ratings and one average rating in unannounced reviews during that span

The local chain debuted in Loveland in 2010. Earlier this year, the operation opened a second restaurant in Fort Collins at the site of the old Wabi Sabi and Suehiro restaurants in Old Town.

The Fort Collins location's July 26 inspection was the first unannounced review since Sushi Zensai took over the space.

More:The meaning behind 'inadequate' ratings at Northern Colorado restaurants

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