Cocoa Beach Italian Restaurant Shut Down for 3 Days by Health Officials After Dozens of Food Safety Violations, Rodent Droppings Found
Sept 04, 2025 -- 06:10pm By: /// TheBlakeMoiaShow.com Consumer Staff Report -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- "Popular" Cocoa Beach Italian eatery was shut down by inspectors after numerous violations, and rodents discovered.
- 3 "Emergency Orders" were issued as well as an "Administrative Complaint".
- Police had to step in and assist with the closure.
- MIMMOS PIZZERIA & RISTORANTE OF COCOA BEACH was eventually allowed to re-open after 3 days of closure and a passed follow-up inspection.
Brevard County, Florida --
Mimmos Pizzeria & Ristorante faced an emergency 3 day closure from state health officials after they found dozens of food safety violations in late August.
- Inspectors discovered dozens of rodent droppings, and several food items had to be immediately discarded due to improper temperate in storage.
- Mold was found in the ice bin / machine.
- Equipment and ceiling tiles in poor condition.
- Raw foods stored improperly creating cross contamination.
- Chemicals stored with the spices.
- Establishment has no written procedures for employees to follow in response to a vomiting or diarrheal event where the vomit or diarrhea is discharged onto surfaces in the establishment.
- 23 violations in total were noted during the Aug 26th initial inspection:
Inspector's Note
- Basic - Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin. Ice machine has an accumulation of mold like substance on upper interior of well. **Repeat Violation**
- Basic - Bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense food. Soufflé cup used in products **Repeat Violation**
- Basic - Ceiling tile missing. Above make line reach in cooler in kitchen is missing
- Basic - Employee with no hair restraint while engaging in food preparation.
- Basic - Equipment in poor repair. Gasket on flip top cooler by stove is in poor repair.
- Basic - In-use tongs stored on equipment door handle between uses. Tongs hanging on front of oven door
- Basic - Label on a food item prepared and packaged onsite for customer self-service does not include product identity/description, date product was packaged and name and address of the establishment that prepared and packaged the food. Tiramisu in soda cooler, customer self service **Repeat Violation**
- Basic - No Heimlich maneuver/choking sign posted.
- Basic - Single-service articles not stored inverted or protected from contamination. Paper plates on front counter are not inverted
- Basic - Water leaking from pipe and/or faucet/handle. Under hand wash sink on cook line
- Basic - Wet mop not stored in a manner to allow the mop to dry. Stored in used mop water **Repeat Violation**
- High Priority - In-use utensil stored in unclean water at or above 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Utensils in standing water at 117F. Operator turned heating unit up. **Corrective Action Taken**
- High Priority - Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Raw shelled eggs on shelf over cooked wings and cooked meatballs in walk in cooler
- High Priority - Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. 5 droppings behind pizza oven 4 droppings inside middle dry storage closet 2 droppings in corner in back dry storage room 3 droppings behind walk in cooler 2 under ice machine **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
- High Priority - Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. Ice in ice machine has debris contaminating ice.
- High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. In flip top of reach in cooler on cook line heavy cream (47F - Cold Holding); cut tomatoes (49F - Cold Holding); feta (44F - Cold Holding). In flip top of reach in cooler on pizza make line shredded cheese (71F - Cold Holding); sausage (60F - Cold Holding); ham (61F - Cold Holding); cooked spinach (73F - Cold Holding); feta (63F - Cold Holding); ricotta (62F - Cold Holding) **Warning**
- High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food identified in the written procedure as a food held using time as a public health control has no time marking and the time removed from temperature control cannot be determined. See stop sale. No time mark for pizzas in display case. Operator marked on chart **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
- High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Meatballs at 131F. Reheated 2 hrs ago, operator increased temperature **Corrective Action Taken**
- High Priority - Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Over spices on prep table. Operator moved **Corrected On-Site**
- Intermediate - Establishment has no written procedures for employees to follow in response to a vomiting or diarrheal event where the vomit or diarrhea is discharged onto surfaces in the establishment.
- Intermediate - Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Table mounted can opener is soiled
- Intermediate - No proof provided that food employees are informed of their responsibility to report to the person in charge information about their health and activities related to foodborne illnesses. New hire signed during inspection **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
- Intermediate - No soap provided at handwash sink. Hand wash sink in pizza make area
Over a dozen roach & other rodent droppings discovered during second follow-up visit.
Health officials discovered evidence of rodent activity inside the kitchen, under the pizza oven, and in storage areas. A "Stop Sale" was ordered on certain foods for failing to meet temperature requirements. A total of 11 violations were noted during the second inspection.
Inspector's Note
- Basic - - From initial inspection : Basic - Bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense food. Soufflé cup used in products **Repeat Violation** - From follow-up inspection 2025-08-27: **Time Extended**
- Basic - - From initial inspection : Basic - Ceiling tile missing. Above make line reach in cooler in kitchen is missing - From follow-up inspection 2025-08-27: **Time Extended**
- Basic - - From initial inspection : Basic - Employee with no hair restraint while engaging in food preparation. - From follow-up inspection 2025-08-27: **Time Extended**
- Basic - - From initial inspection : Basic - Equipment in poor repair. Gasket on flip top cooler by stove is in poor repair. - From follow-up inspection 2025-08-27: **Time Extended**
- Basic - - From initial inspection : Basic - Label on a food item prepared and packaged onsite for customer self-service does not include product identity/description, date product was packaged and name and address of the establishment that prepared and packaged the food. Tiramisu in soda cooler, customer self service **Repeat Violation** - From follow-up inspection 2025-08-27: **Time Extended**
- Basic - - From initial inspection : Basic - No Heimlich maneuver/choking sign posted. - From follow-up inspection 2025-08-27: **Time Extended**
- Basic - - From initial inspection : Basic - Water leaking from pipe and/or faucet/handle. Under hand wash sink on cook line - From follow-up inspection 2025-08-27: **Time Extended**
- High Priority - - From initial inspection : High Priority - In-use utensil stored in unclean water at or above 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Utensils in standing water at 117F. Operator turned heating unit up. **Corrective Action Taken** - From follow-up inspection 2025-08-27: **Time Extended**
- High Priority - - From initial inspection : High Priority - Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. 5 droppings behind pizza oven 4 droppings inside middle dry storage closet 2 droppings in corner in back dry storage room 3 droppings behind walk in cooler 2 under ice machine **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint** - From follow-up inspection 2025-08-27: Observed rodent droppings; 6 in corner under pizza oven. 1 under cook line equipment. 5 in middle dry storage closet **Admin Complaint**
- High Priority - - From initial inspection : High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food identified in the written procedure as a food held using time as a public health control has no time marking and the time removed from temperature control cannot be determined. See stop sale. No time mark for pizzas in display case. Operator marked on chart **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation** - From follow-up inspection 2025-08-27: **Time Extended**
- High Priority - - From initial inspection : High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Meatballs at 131F. Reheated 2 hrs ago, operator increased temperature **Corrective Action Taken** - From follow-up inspection 2025-08-27: **Time Extended**
In a subsequent follow-up inspection, it was discovered the owners were continuing to operate the restaurant despite being shut down by health officials.
Officials caught the operators defacing, removing and or covered the posted emergency closure sign on the front door. They noted they covered their sign with a "Help Wanted" sign on each day of the closure.
Health inspectors say the local Cocoa Beach police department was summoned out to enforce the emergency order of closure.
During a fourth inspection on August 28t, all the rodent droppings were still accounted for and not cleaned up, according to records.
The restaurant eventually passed state inspection later that day and was allowed to reopen. Mimmos has a history of failed inspections and has been fined $400 in 2023.
