Sykora Bakery closed to correct health issues

CEDAR RAPIDS -- A Czech Village business has voluntarily closed to correct health code violations that were discovered during a routine annual inspection.

Sykora Bakery, 73 16th Ave. SW, was cited for 17 violations following a March 23 inspection by the Linn County Health Department. Nine violations were considered "critical" and had to be corrected no later than April 6 and the remaining "non-critical" items needed to be corrected within 90 days.

Jim Hodina, Linn County Health Department environmental director, on Wednesday confirmed that the closing of Sykora Bakery was voluntary by the owner, John Rocarek, after follow-up inspections within the last month found several of the violations had not been corrected.

Among the critical violations cited in the March 23 inspection by Deb Morlan of the Linn County Health Department was inadequate or improper pest control. Morlan noted that "mouse droppings were observed in the basement, kitchen and throughout the facility."

Morlan inspected the bakery again on July 28 and July 29. She reported that numerous live insects, droppings and dead insects were observed throughout the building.

Morlan also reported that numerous food contact surfaces in the kitchen were not clean and cockroaches were observed running across food contact surfaces. She recommended that the business remain closed until it was throughly cleaned and professional pest control had been contracted.

Morlan inspected Sykora Bakery on Aug. 1 and found that there were still numerous live and dead cockroaches on food contact surfaces. While cleaning had occured since the July 29 inspection, Morlan said more cleaning was needed.

On the most recent inspection Aug. 3, Morlan again cited inadequate pest control, a preparation cooler in the kitchen that was not operating and the need for a thorough cleaning of all food contact surfaces before the bakery can reopen.

Rocarek on Wednesday blamed the bakery's closing on the pest control problem.

"The spray is so strong that we couldn't have any food exposed to it," Rocarek said. "We're thinking that tomorrow everything should be alright and we expect to reopen."

Hodina said the bakery will be inspected Thursday to determine if the violations have been corrected to his agency's satisfaction.

Morlan, in her July 28 report, said a certified pest controller needed to provide her agency with a copy of its findings and recommendations. She also wants copies of ongoing pest control invoices submitted to the Linn County Health Department.

Sykora Bakery, a Czech Village landmark, reopened in April 2009 after extensive remodeling was halted by the  June 2008 flood.

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