Park Plaza Gardens reopens after health shutdown

Park Plaza Gardens reopened last Tuesday after being temporarily shut down for health concerns by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation following a routine inspection.

Health and sanitation inspectors found nine “high priority” violations in the historic restaurant, including roaches, rat droppings, and dairy and meat being kept at improper temperatures.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation forced the restaurant to close at 12:48 p.m. upon finding these infractions, reopening it at 6 p.m. after the restaurant did a full-sweep of the building to correct the health hazards.

“As a regulatory agency, our ultimate goal is to ensure the compliance of our licensees and protect the health and safety of Floridians,” said Tajiana Ancora-Brown, director of communications for the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. “As a result of the restaurant’s swift attention to the matter, as well as the quick follow-up response of the food safety and sanitation inspector, the restaurant was able to reopen later that day.”

Other health violations found at the restaurant included employees failing to wash their hands before touching food and handling ready-to-go food with bare hands.

Park Plaza Gardens released a statement following their reopening over Facebook, addressing the health violations that were found.

“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused,” the Facebook post read. “Park Plaza Gardens Restaurant is currently going through renovation. The building is an old building. Health inspectors brought some issues to our attention and those issues were corrected in a few hours. Park Plaza Gardens Restaurant continues to be one of Winter Park’s finest dining restaurants and is one of the cleanest restaurants in Winter Park and we are open for business.”

Winter Park residents have spoken out in defense of the restaurant, despite the series of health violations.

“Knowing what I know about Florida, it’s hard to keep rats and insects out unless you basically have a sterile environment,” said Clayton Ferrara, a resident of Winter Park for nine years. “It’s unfortunate that things like this came, but I’m glad they came to light, because that way it will cause a change.”

“I’ve never gotten sick at this restaurant; I don’t know anyone who ever has. Come to think of it, in nine years I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad meal.”

The dining atrium at Park Plaza Gardens has hosted wedding receptions, company functions and romantic dinners of Winter Park residents for 30 years, boasting a long and proud history for being one of the city’s oldest dining establishments.

Ferrara remained confident that, because of this history, the restaurant would continue to thrive.

“When a restaurant is around for that long with the kind of history of that hotel, which has been there even longer than the restaurant, it becomes a landmark,” Ferrara said. “When that happens people are really forgiving. It’s kind of like having a relative that messes up every once in a while. Everyone’s saying ‘Oh man, Uncle George, you’ve got to get it together,’ and they tend to be a little bit more forgiving.”