Hawaiʻi closes Black Rock Pizza in Kailua-Kona after inspectors find rodent droppings in food

Black Rock Pizza, a popular restaurant in Kailua-Kona, has been ordered to close immediately. According to Big Island Now, Hawaiʻi Department of Health inspectors found major sanitation issues, including rodent droppings in food and in areas where meals were prepared.

What happened?

After a routine inspection on July 8, the Hawaiʻi Department of Health closed Black Rock Pizza at 75-5813 Aliʻi Drive in Kailua-Kona. The restaurant, which Big Island Now reported is operated by Black Rock Pizza #2 Kona LLC, received a red "closed" placard and will not be allowed to reopen until the Hawaiʻi Department of Health's Food Safety Branch says the critical violations have been fixed.

According to the Hawaiʻi Department of Health's Food Safety Branch, inspectors found evidence of rodents throughout the restaurant, including both recent and older droppings in food preparation areas, on surfaces that came into contact with food, and even directly in the food itself.

Inspectors reportedly cited the business for several additional problems: failing to adequately protect food from contamination, failing to keep the premises free of rodents and other pests, blocking a required handwashing sink, and failing to properly maintain and clean the facility.

Why does it matter?

When inspectors find rodent activity in areas where food is stored, handled, or served, the concern is not just the unpleasantness of the conditions — it is the potential for disease transmission and for contaminated meals to reach customers who expect their food to be safe.

Health inspections and reopening requirements are designed to help prevent unsafe food from reaching the public and ensure restaurants meet basic safety standards. 

Food safety is important for restaurants and food manufacturers to prevent diseases — inspection records showed that a Boar's Head's Virginia facility had years of sanitation and maintenance violations that contributed to a widespread Listeria outbreak.

These types of closures also carry economic consequences. A shutdown can interrupt workers' income, damage a restaurant's reputation, and affect nearby businesses that rely on steady foot traffic, particularly in a tourism-heavy area such as Kailua-Kona.

What's being done?

Before Black Rock Pizza can reopen, the operators must discard contaminated food, hire a licensed pest control company, provide proof of that service to the Department of Health, and seal holes in the building's walls and ceiling, according to Big Island Now.

Removing contaminated food reduces the short-term health risk, while pest control and structural repairs are intended to help keep rodents from coming back.

For now, the closure stays in effect until health officials confirm that the critical violations have been corrected.

The restaurant will remain closed until it is no longer "failing to protect food from contamination" and "failing to keep the premises free of rodents and other pests."

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