FRANCO'S ITALIAN RESTAURANT
1801 E SILVER SPRINGS BLVD, Ocala FL 34470 · 352-304-5045
Last inspected Mar 31, 2026 · 4 visits since July 2024
JUL 24
MAY 25
OCT 25
MAR 26
≈ ERRATIC
4 inspections, swinging between A and F. Consistency is the problem here, not any single visit.
Live, small flying insects found. Approximately 3 flies in outside storage shed with door open, operator closed door to prevent flies from going into storage shed.
★ Spotless◆ Clean streak● Perfect year✓ Never fined
Awarded on the inspection record alone. What they mean →
Disciplinary actions
2 cases · $1,000
| Case | Violation date | Final order | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5--2020058669 | Dec 3, 2020 | Mar 17, 2021 | $800 |
| 5--2020003570 | Oct 17, 2019 | Feb 12, 2020 | $200 |
Inspection history
4 visits, newest first
Mar 31, 2026Inspection Completed - No Further ActionRoutine Inspection
Met inspection standards. 6 violations recorded, none serious enough to require a return visit.
2 High priority0 Intermediate4 Basic
What the inspector wrote — 6 findingsThe state's own report →
Employee touching ready-to-eat food with their bare hands - food was not being heated as a sole ingredient to 145 degrees F or immediately added to other ingredients to be cooked/heated to the minimum required temperature to allow bare hand contact. Establishment has no approved Alternative Operating Procedure. At the server station, female employee touches with barre hand cut lettuce with bare hands, inspector instructed to removed the piece of lettuce, wash hands and use gloves
Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. At the cook line, Alfredo 94F and 80F, Manager placed on time, sauce made at 10:45Am will be discarded at 2:45.
Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. Employee drink on top of ice machine, employee moved.
Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. Employee purses on top of cans at the bar area, manager moved.
Show the remaining 2 findings ▾
Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried - wet nesting. Cleaned stacked containers and cups stored above triple sink.
Single-service articles improperly stored. To go containers not inverted at the prep area, manager inverted.
Oct 15, 2025Inspection Completed - No Further ActionRoutine Inspection
Met inspection standards. 10 violations recorded, none serious enough to require a return visit.
2 High priority4 Intermediate4 Basic
Show 10 findings ▾
Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. At the pizza station, ricotta cheese 54F, Employee voluntarily discarded. At the cook line, eggplant 53F, Manager voluntarily discarded.
Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. At the cook line, sausage 120F, chicken gravy 108F, beef broth 109F, chicken broth 107F, soup 122 and 92F manager moved to the line and reheated to 165F.
Food manager certification expired. A list of accredited food manager certification examination providers can be found at https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/hotels-restaurants/food-lodging/food-manager/ For two male managers, (05/29/2025).
No proof of required state approved employee training provided for employee hired more than 60 days ago. To order approved program food safety material, call DBPR contracted provider: Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (SafeStaff) 866-372-7233. For one female employee.
No written procedures available for use of time as a public health control to hold time/temperature control for safety food. No documents on site.
Required employee training provided by a third-party employee training program and operator unable to provide original certificate for employees trained. For three employees
Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried - wet nesting. Cleaned stacked container, above dish machine, manager moved.
No handwashing sign provided at a hand sink used by food employees. At the pizza station, sign blocked by soap dispenser.
Single-service articles not stored inverted or protected from contamination. Single service not inverted, manager inverted.
Stored food not covered. In walk-in cooler soup not covered, manager cover.
May 9, 2025Inspection Completed - No Further ActionRoutine Inspection
Met inspection standards. 12 violations recorded, none serious enough to require a return visit.
6 High priority2 Intermediate4 Basic
Show 12 findings ▾
Container of medicine improperly stored. Bottle of alka seltzer on prep table by vegetable cutter. Employee moved bottle.
Employee touched soiled apron/clothes and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Employee pulled down back of shirt with hand then touched clean utensils handle on cooks line, after changing gloves inspector spoke to employee about washing hands before changing gloves.
Live, small flying insects found. Approximately 3 flies in outside storage shed with door open, operator closed door to prevent flies from going into storage shed.
Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. cheesecake (46,47F - Cold Holding); cheese (47F - Cold Holding) items in cooler at wait station the cooler had been bumped up warmer a few minutes prior while employee cleaned cooler, cooler was dropped back down and retested cheesecake at 41 and cheese at 45. chicken (47F - Cold Holding); Philly meat (51F - Cold Holding) items in cooler on cooks line used for a catering, items placed back in cooler after being sat out of cooler, operator placed ice packs on food retested at below 41F.
Time/temperature control for safety food identified in the written procedure as a food held using time as a public health control has no time marking and the time removed from temperature control cannot be determined. Fresh garlic and oil mixture on cooks line no time mark.
Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Sanitizer chemical container on shelf next to canned tomatoes operator moved chemical to chemical shelf.
Establishment conducts non-continuous cooking of raw animal foods without written procedures approved by the division. Chicken cordon bleu in walk in cooler, the chicken is first cooked to 135F kept in walk in cooler then when ordered it is finished at 165F.
Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Cutting boards on cooks line stained.
Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. Employee beverage on prep table next to vegetable cutter. Employee moved item.
Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. Employee phone on prep table by vegetable cutter. Employee moved.
Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried - wet nesting. Plastic containers of shelf in dish area.
Equipment in poor repair. Cutting board on cooks line with cut marks.
Jul 8, 2024Inspection Completed - No Further ActionLicensing Inspection
Nothing was found. The inspector recorded no violations at all.
0 High priority0 Intermediate0 Basic
This record follows the licence, not the owner. Restaurants change hands and the licence history normally does not, so an older entry may describe people who no longer run the place. Every inspection above links to the state's own report. Something wrong? Tell us.