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Health Department Shuts Down El Rancherito

TSPR

The McDonough County Health Department has revoked the restaurant license of Lupe Leon, the owner of El Rancherito on W. Jackson St. in Macomb.

Chris Adams said the health department completed a routine, unannounced inspection at the facility Monday and found several violations that could lead to foodborne illness.

“We found several containers of food in the temperature danger zone that had been previously cooked the day before and we’re still be used on the front line,” Adams said. “Another risk factor was that we had several items not dated properly that had been prepared three days prior.”

He said prepared food has a seven day discard requirement to control bacteria and listeria growth.

Adams said it was the last straw for Leon, who almost lost her restaurant license last September but was given one more chance.

Adams said the restaurant successfully completed the required follow up inspections to hold onto the license late last year and even performed well during its first health inspection of 2019. But he said the same kinds of issues reappeared during this week’s walkthrough.

“When we go in there, it’s just a snapshot of that day. Things could be completely different when we go in the next inspection. Unfortunately, to this point and to protect the public we can’t have this kind of behavior reoccurring after we’ve been in there so many times training and working with the facility and identifying these issues,” Adams said.

This is the first time in decades that the McDonough County Health Department has revoked a restaurant license. Adams said it took several years to get to this point.

“In the end the responsible party -- regardless of the manager in charge, the handlers working in the kitchen -- the responsible party is the owner of the operation so they have to make sure things are being taken care of and done right.”

Adams said Leon can appeal the decision. But he said the facility will remain closed until another person applies for a restaurant license to reopen El Rancherito or start a new business.

You can read more about how area restaurants scored on their latest health inspection at the DineSmart website managed by the McDonough County Health Department and WIU's GIS Center.

Emily Boyer is a former reporter at Tri States Public Radio.