Health Department closes Kona restaurant after finding rodent infestation, food safety violations

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health has ordered the immediate closure of Baan Thai Family Cuisine in Kailua-Kona after inspectors discovered a rodent infestation and numerous critical food safety violations during a routine inspection.

The restaurant, operated by Miyavadee Khamya, received a red “closed” placard on July 29.

The establishment will remain closed until health officials verify that all critical violations have been corrected during a follow-up inspection.

According to the Department of Health, inspectors found widespread rodent droppings throughout the restaurant, including on food-contact surfaces, along with visible openings that could allow pests to enter the building.

Additional violations included improperly stored food, failure to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures, missing date labels on ready-to-eat refrigerated foods, inadequate sanitizer levels in the mechanical dishwasher, hand-washing sinks that lacked soap or were obstructed, and unsanitary facility conditions.

Before reopening, the restaurant must discard contaminated food, seal pest entry points, obtain professional pest control service, thoroughly clean and sanitize the facility, remove unnecessary equipment and supplies, repair the mechanical dishwasher, ensure refrigeration units maintain safe temperatures, and retrain employees on proper food storage, date marking, and hand-washing procedures.

For further information on the department’s placarding program, click here. For updates on food establishment inspections, click here.