Backroom chicken coop closes Fresno meat market during May restaurant inspections

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A Fresno market was closed temporarily in May after inspectors with the health department found what was described as a backroom chicken coop.
'The coop held three young chickens,' according to a Fresno County Department of Public Health report dated May 12.
An incubation device and a large adult hen were also observed at Cherry Market on Cherry Avenue just north of Central Avenue south of Fresno.
The market and meat department was also cited for not having hot water, which is required to be at a temperature of 120 degrees. The facility was ordered closed until violations could be corrected.
That happened within the next day, according to a follow-up inspection by the health department.
The market was one of four restaurant and food service providers closed in May, according to public data reported by the health department's environmental health division.
Major violations were also found at:
Ding Ho Kitchen. The to-go Chinese restaurant at Bullard and Marks avenues was closed May 1 after an inspector found a number of violations, including improper storage of food and trash. There was also an 'excess of flies,' according to the inspection report. Foods were out of temperature and had to be discarded. 'The facility requires cleaning,' the report said. The restaurant was reinspected and reopened May 2.
Nueva Italia Michoacan. At the Mexican restaurant on Cedar Avenue just north of McKinley Avenue, inspectors on May 13 were told water to the restaurant had been turned off. The restaurant was closed for a week until the water was restored and it could be reinspected.
Baja Fresh. The restaurant inside the Valero gas station on Dorris Avenue in Coalinga did not have any hot water due to a leak in the water heater, a May 20 inspection found. A lack of hot water is one of the most common violations and causes for closure during inspections and is often quickly corrected. In this case, the restaurant was closed for two days.
In April, four closures were ordered by the health department, which monitors (and inspects) restaurants, snack bars, grocery stores, commissaries, delicatessens and food vendors across the county and makes its reports available to the public online. That included the North Point Event Center, which has been cited for failures twice so far this year.
The May closures mark 25 restaurants, markets and other food businesses that have failed health inspections so far in 2025.
The Fresno County Department of Public Health has about two dozen environmental health specialists who monitor almost 5,000 restaurants, snack bars, grocery stores, commissaries, delicatessens and food vendors across the county and make unannounced visits several times a year.
Restaurants also are inspected following fires, or in response to complaints or other concerns from the public, including when people report what they believe are health or sanitation issues at restaurants.
When inspectors visit a restaurant or other food service business, there is a lengthy and detailed list of more than 50 things that draw their scrutiny. They include:
Whether the manager and all employees have the required food safety or food-handling certificates.
Hygiene of individual employees.
Ways to keep cold food at or below 41 degrees and hot food above 135 degrees.
Use of proper sterilization for counters, tables, utensils and cookware.
Overall cleanliness.
Proper drainage of sinks and floor drains.
Restrooms stocked with supplies.
Whether the business has the proper license or permit.
In most instances, if an inspector finds a problem, it's something that can be fixed on the spot. This can include having enough bleach or sanitizer in the water used to wipe down food-preparation areas, replenishing soap, paper towels and toilet paper in the restrooms, or reminding employees to wash their hands and wear gloves and hairnets.
Insect or vermin infestations are violations that can result in immediate closure of restaurants or food businesses when they are observed by health inspectors.
Among other serious concerns are refrigerators that don't keep food cold enough or steam tables that don't keep food hot enough to inhibit bacterial growth, or clogged sinks or drains that cause contaminated water to back up into kitchens.