Complaint: Church's Chicken In Pine Bluff

What do Arkansas Department of Health reports say about the restaurant on Cherry Street?

The popular chicken place in Pine Bluff (Screenshot from Google Maps)

South Arkansas Reckoning has received tips about the popular Church's Chicken on Cherry Street in Pine Bluff.

We decided to examine the latest report on the restaurant by the Arkansas Department of Health Environmental Health Protection Services. We also looked at previous reports, too.

The last inspection occurred on June 11, 2024.

The restaurant had “Good Retail Practices” violations. These practices are “preventable measures to control the addition of pathogens, chemicals and physical objects.”

The Department of Health found that Church’s was out of compliance on “Food & non-food contact services cleanable, properly designed, constructed & used.” Repeat violations were “non-food contact surfaces clean” and “Physical facilities installed, maintained and cleaned.”

The inspector observed several violations in the fast-food restaurant and noted six that “must be corrected within the inspector’s specified time frames.” That time frame was June 25, 2024.

Violations observed included:

• Cardboard is being used to cover the floor in cooking area. Cardboard material shall not be used in the kitchen area.

• Walls and ceiling tiles are soiled. Corrective action: Nonfood contact surfaces shall be kept free of an accumulation of dust, dirty, food residue, and other debris.

• Stove has accumulation of grease/residue. Corrective action: The food contact surfaces of cooking equipment and pans shall be kept free of encrusted grease deposits and other soil accumulations.

• Standing water at the drain in the cook area. Corrective action: The PHYSICAL FACILITIES shall be maintained in good repair.

• Air vents need to be cleaned. Corrective action: Clean the physical facilities as often as necessary to keep them clean.

Since 2021, Church’s on Cherry Street have had numerous violations.

In an April 14, 2021, report the inspector noted that sewage and waste water was not disposed of properly and that the drain was not working properly. The inspector gave one day to have it repaired.

The inspector filed another report on April 15, 2021, but did not note if the drain was repaired. The “sewage waster properly discharged” box on the form had “IN”, meaning it was in compliance.

That December a follow-up inspection showed more problems including “at least one EMPLOYEE” that has supervisory and management responsibility and the authority to direct and control food preparation and service shall be a certified food protection manager who has show proficiency of required information through passing a test that is part of an “ACCREDITED PROGRAM”.

In that same complaint, the inspector noted that the walk-in cooler temperature was 48 degrees. It should be 41 degrees or below. A box of single service items in a storage area was on the floor that could allow for contamination.

The walls were soiled in the kitchen area, too, according to the report.

In October 2022, water and sewage were back on the floor with the inspector writing the floor drain needed repaired. Also noted again — “Facility needs to be cleaned. Corrective Action: Clean the physical facilities as often as necessary to keep them clean.”

Floor tiles were also missing and needed repaired or replaced.

In March 2023, a clean facility was again a problem as was the need for a “certified FOOD protection manager.” The kitchen again had soiled walls and ceilings, and the walk-in cooler's floors were dirty. Broken floor tiles in the food prep area remained unrepaired.

Last December, the same problems still existed including dirty surfaces and walls. Again, the restaurant needed a certified food production manager.

In the latest report, which is below, a certified food production manager was not mentioned.

But several other issues were. Again.