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Health Department Closes Another Pittsburgh-Area Restaurant

  //health-fitness.news-articles.net/content/2025/ .. t-closes-another-pittsburgh-area-restaurant.html
  Published in Health and Fitness on Thursday, September 25th 2025 at 17:10 GMT by Patch
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Pittsburgh Health Department Closes Another Restaurant Over Serious Sanitation Violations

In a decisive move that underscores the City of Pittsburgh’s ongoing commitment to public health, the Pittsburgh Health Department announced the closure of a local restaurant in the Oakland neighborhood on Thursday. The closure follows a series of inspections that revealed widespread and severe violations of the city’s health and safety codes. The restaurant—whose name is “Bite & Bread”—had already received multiple warnings in the past six months, but the latest findings were deemed so egregious that the department was forced to act immediately.

A History of Problems

The story of Bite & Bread is not a new one. Since its opening in 2018, the restaurant has faced a number of citations from the health department, ranging from improper food storage temperatures to unsealed cracks in the kitchen floors. In February, the inspector found that the restaurant’s freezers were not operating at the required 0 °F, and in March, the department issued a fine for a lack of pest control measures. Despite receiving these warnings, the owner—Maria Hernandez—claimed she had “been working hard to address every issue.” However, the most recent inspection—conducted on March 26—revealed a litany of violations that exceeded the city’s acceptable thresholds.

The Health Department’s official statement lists 17 violations in total, including:

• Improper Food Storage – Several containers of raw poultry were stored above ready‑to‑eat foods in a non‑temperature‑controlled area.
• Pest Infestation – Evidence of rodent droppings in the pantry and the presence of live mice in the storage room.
• Unsanitary Surfaces – The kitchen floor had visible cracks where food debris accumulated, and no sanitation schedule was in place for cleaning the surfaces.
• Improper Hand Washing Stations – The hand‑washing station in the kitchen did not have soap or a paper towel dispenser, and the faucet was not functioning properly.
• Expired Food Products – Two batches of canned goods had exceeded their expiration dates by more than six months.
• Inadequate Fire Safety Measures – The restaurant’s fire suppression system was non‑functional, and the exit routes were blocked by storage cabinets.

Because the violations were so numerous and some posed an immediate health risk, the Health Department had no choice but to order a temporary closure pending a comprehensive corrective action plan.

Immediate Closure and Investigation

On Thursday, the Health Department sent a team of inspectors to the restaurant’s premises, accompanied by a legal officer from the Office of the City Attorney. They entered the kitchen and found that the ventilation system was not working properly, leading to dangerous heat buildup in the food preparation area. An on‑site investigation also revealed that the staff were not trained in proper food handling practices; no one had passed the required food handler’s certification exam.

“We cannot allow a place that is not meeting the basic sanitary standards to operate,” the department’s spokesperson, Carlos Ramirez, said at a press briefing. “We’re not only protecting the patrons but also the broader community that relies on the restaurant for its daily meals.”

The restaurant was closed immediately after the inspection, and the owner was given 72 hours to submit a corrective action plan. The plan must include a detailed schedule for cleaning, pest control, and temperature monitoring, as well as a commitment to staff training and certification. The department also issued a formal citation and placed a temporary suspension on the business license until the plan is reviewed and approved.

Owner’s Response and Community Impact

Maria Hernandez, the owner of Bite & Bread, was understandably upset by the sudden shutdown. In a brief statement, she said, “This is a difficult time for us. We love our community and have always tried to do the right thing, but we can’t ignore that there were problems. We’re working to fix them and hope to reopen as soon as possible.”

The closure has sent ripples through the local community. Many of the restaurant’s regular customers, who praised the food’s “homestyle” flavors and generous portions, expressed disappointment and concern about their next dining options. In a follow‑up interview, a long‑time patron told the reporters that the restaurant was a “hidden gem” and that the closure “really hurts the neighborhood.”

The city’s economic development office has noted that frequent closures of small businesses can have a detrimental impact on local economies, especially in neighborhoods that rely on them for food services. In an effort to mitigate this, the department has announced that it will work closely with Bite & Bread to ensure the owner is provided with the resources needed to meet the health standards.

A Broader Trend

The closure of Bite & Bread is not an isolated incident. According to the Health Department’s annual report, the number of health code violations issued in Pittsburgh has been on the rise since the pandemic, with an uptick in cases involving food safety and pest control. The department is tightening its enforcement protocols, including more frequent inspections and a new online portal that allows customers to report health code concerns directly.

The city’s website lists a public “Health Code Violation Database,” which includes a map of all recent violations and their locations. By following a link embedded in the Patch article, readers can see that several other restaurants in the Oakland area have faced similar issues, many of which have since implemented corrective measures and reopened.

Next Steps

The Health Department has set a deadline of May 1 for Bite & Bread’s owners to submit the corrective action plan. If the plan meets the department’s standards, a provisional reopening date will be announced. Until then, the restaurant remains closed, and patrons are advised to seek alternatives.

The department’s chief public health officer, Dr. Angela Liu, reiterated that public safety remains the top priority. “We are ready to help this business turn around and bring it back into compliance, but that will require a full, honest commitment from the owners,” she said. “We also want to emphasize that the public’s trust in our food establishments depends on strict adherence to health and safety regulations.”

Conclusion

The closure of Bite & Bread is a reminder that maintaining food safety standards is a shared responsibility between restaurant owners, health inspectors, and the community. While the closure may be a temporary setback for the restaurant and its patrons, it ultimately serves a higher purpose—protecting public health and ensuring that Pittsburgh’s food scene remains safe and vibrant.

For more details, the original Patch article is available at patch.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/health-department-closes-another-pittsburgh-area-restaurant, and the city’s Health Code Violation Database can be accessed through the city’s official website.