One of the Blue Demon Dining options, The Bean, on the Lincoln Park Campus was shut down on Friday, Feb. 20, after a canvass inspection from the Chicago Department of Public Health .
The Bean Caffe, housed in the Schmitt Academic Center, was found in violation of 13 health code statutes, according to CDPH records.
Some of these violations include no posting of required public health literature, employees seen handling food and drinks after doing other tasks without washing hands, none of the prep coolers having thermometers to ensure proper temperature and no log book maintained with proof of pest control.
The handwashing violation and lack of water connection to other hand washing stations were categorized as a “primary violation,” which CDPH considers to be “an immediate health hazard that carries a high-risk of causing food-borne illness,” according to CDPH’s website, which led to the license suspension.
The Bean was considered a medium risk establishment, with a moderate risk of food-borne illness based on what it served — including sandwiches, smoothies and coffee.
Once DePaul corrects all violations, they must sign an affidavit and schedule a follow up appointment with CDPH to resume operations.
“DePaul is committed to ensuring our students have access to safe, convenient food service,” Kristin Claes Mathews, senior director of strategic communications at university communications, said in a comment to The DePaulia. “We are working quickly to assess the issues flagged during the city health inspection.
Some students find this shut-down to be frustrating.
“I’m pretty pissed,” Andrew Ciarelli, a DePaul junior, said. “Honestly I still would’ve gone even after the health inspection came back negative. Coffee might actually be worth catching a cold.”
This is the first time The Bean has failed a health inspection. The last time the establishment received a citation was in 2017, for not having a grease trap installed in the dish sink and clutter.
Other DePaul coffee spots like Brownstones and The Bean in the Ray Meyer Fitness Center are still open for operation.
