WICKER PARK — A grocery store in Wicker Park reopened Monday after its license was temporarily suspended last week after two failed city health inspections.
Aldi, 1753 N. Milwaukee Ave., was slapped with a “License Suspended” notice by the Chicago Department of Public Health’s Food Safety Program on Friday, notices posted at its doorways show. These signs have since been removed.
The grocery store failed two inspections in July after city inspectors found hundreds of “small flying insects,” city records show.
According to a July 19 report, inspectors found “about 100 small flying insects” near product bins in the store’s retail area and “about 100 small flying insects” on the walls of a rear warehouse.
According to the report, inspectors also found “over 500 small flying insects” near dumpsters in an indoor garbage area.
“Excessive food waste (produce) on the floor around dumpsters has been observed to contribute to in-store pest activity. Also the dumpsters are full of rubbish so the lids cannot be closed all the way. Management has been instructed to clean and maintain the indoor garbage area at all times and to maintain adequate garbage collection to eliminate pest activity,” the report said.
Recognition: Quinn Myers/Block Club ChicagoA closure notice for Aldi’s Wicker Park location at 1753 N. Milwaukee Ave. after the grocery store failed two health inspections in July. The store reopened on Monday afternoon.
The store failed a follow-up inspection on Wednesday.
At the time, inspectors found “about 50 small flying insects around and in the crates and bins of produce in the sales area” and “about 100” insects in the rear store, according to the report.
“Additional pest control services are required to eliminate pest activity,” the report said.
Aldi also failed to provide hand washing soap in the men’s and women’s bathrooms, among other hygiene issues, and the ceiling of the women’s bathroom was leaking, according to Wednesday’s report.
After the grocery store was closed over the weekend, it reopened on Monday. An Aldi spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
This isn’t the first time this year that Wicker Park Aldi has had problems with the health department. The site failed an inspection in April, city records show.
An April 18 report found “trash and debris” on the floor near dumpsters in the indoor waste area and “uncovered dumpsters” in the women’s restroom.
The grocery store passed a follow-up inspection on April 26.
Recognition: Quinn Myers/Block Club Chicago
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