Pizza chain’s Tacoma location closed for rodent issues found in recent health inspection

The local health department has shut down a downtown Tacoma pizzeria after a routine inspection uncovered “rodent droppings throughout the kitchen and below equipment,” bags of flour presumably chewed by mice and flies on sticky traps.

The Rock Wood Fired Pizza at 1920 Jefferson Ave. has been closed since the afternoon of Nov. 13 after an inspector for the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department discovered evidence of a rodent infestation, according to the publicly available report.

A phone call to the restaurant Monday morning went to voicemail, and an email request for comment was not immediately returned. Health department spokesperson Kenny Via referred The News Tribune to the inspection report for details. In an emailed statement, he added that “representatives from The Rock informed us this morning they are working to address the issues and plan to be ready for a pre-opening inspection later this week.”

An updated health department sign in the window shows the restaurant as “temporarily closed,” with the associated sad-face rating. A typed sign reads, “We are currently closed for maintenance and repairs in the building. We apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to seeing you soon.”

The inspector, Sarah Foster, arrived at the restaurant around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, spending just shy of 90 minutes on site. Her report noted “rodent droppings throughout the kitchen and below equipment,” including the pizza oven, deep-fryer, coolers and storage shelves. Similar evidence of rodents was found “on top of food-contact surfaces including pizza paddles, service trays and pre-cut wax paper” used to line service plates, such as trays for nachos.

At least one bag of flour showed noticeable chew marks “with mouse droppings on top of bag,” the inspector wrote in the report. Rodent remnants were flagged as “built up on brick walls, alcoves and below sinks.” Foam insulation in the walls also showed chew marks.

The report called out “black flies in kitchen area including on sticky traps throughout kitchen” and on food-contact surfaces, including a table in the prep kitchen and countertops.

TPCHD cited the Tacoma pizza shop five red points, a high-risk violation, and immediately closed the facility. To reopen, staff must meet a series of criteria and pass a pre-opening inspection, which costs $217.

Steps include removing “all food debris and grease build-up,” cleaning areas with evidence of pests, and washing and sanitizing all food-preparation surfaces and tools. Staff must also discard any contaminated single-use items like paper liners, pizza boxes and takeout containers.

Finally, the business must hire a certified pest-control operator to perform a “mass catching/treatment.”

Only after sharing the results of that procedure and proving “no evidence” of pests could the restaurant schedule its pre-opening inspection.

Other checks — for proper temperatures of cooked and cooled foods, especially — did not reveal additional issues, according to the inspection report. The pizzeria was cited several times in 2023 for failing to meet the health department’s standards for hot- and cold-holding of raw and prepared foods. Those issues, outlined in an April 2023 report, ranged from storing raw beef on a shelf above cooked chicken, for instance, to tepid queso in a warming device.

Handwash sinks also were found with lower-than-accepted water temperatures last year.

There have been two other instances of potential rodent problems, according to a News Tribune review of the inspection records available on TPCHD’s website:

In January 2024, an inspection report noted fruit flies in the kitchen, largely around the drain of the three-compartment sink, and “rodent feces in corners and below equipment in the kitchen.” The manager at the time provided a recent pest-control report. The health inspector wrote that the restaurant “must minimize the presence of pests including flies and rodents” and should continue professional pest-control services.

During the April 2023 visit, the inspector found Hot Shot insecticide “on a pipe next to prep sink.” Restaurants are only permitted to use food-safe insecticides, the report noted.

TPCHD has visited The Rock in Tacoma nine times from April 2023 to November 2024, including two pre-opening inspections that followed repeated high-risk violations and one educational visit with supervisors and staff.

The restaurant company, now owned by John Allegretto and Don Bellis, currently operates six additional locations in Western Washington, including in Puyallup, Lacey and Federal Way, and one near Denver, Colorado, according to its website. Several others have closed in recent years, from Silverdale to the Portland metro area.

Bellis and Jay Gigandet, who is no longer involved, started the rock ’n’ roll-themed brand in Tacoma, originally as The Wedge, in 1995.

Editor’s Note, 11/19/2024: This story has been updated to reflect current ownership of The Wedge Corporation, which is based in Auburn.

This story was originally published November 18, 2024 at 2:12 PM.