A Hawaiʻi restaurant was temporarily shut down after state health inspectors found rodent droppings on cooking equipment and food-contact surfaces. The case is an example of the serious pest problems described in our look at health code violations that have shut restaurants down — but there is an important update: this restaurant has already been cleared to reopen.
Waikoloa Restaurant & Bar, at 68-1790 Melia Street in Waikoloa Village on Hawaiʻi Island, received a red closure placard from the Hawaiʻi Department of Health on September 2, 2026. After corrective work, inspectors returned September 4 and issued a green passing placard, authorizing the business to reopen.
What inspectors reported
The original inspection followed a complaint. According to the department’s September 4 announcement, inspectors found significant signs of rodents, including droppings on surfaces used for food preparation and on cooking equipment. They also reported food packaging with droppings and gnaw marks, marks along walls and fixtures, and openings through which pests could enter.
Inspectors additionally reported that food-contact surfaces, equipment and parts of the facility had not been adequately maintained or cleaned. These were observations documented by regulators at the time of the inspection, rather than findings that every meal served at the restaurant had been contaminated.
The state required the operator to discard affected food, close pest entry points, repair damaged window screens, keep kitchen doors shut when not in use, and thoroughly clean and disinfect contaminated areas. A professional pest-control contractor also had to assess and treat the property for rodents.
Restaurant passed its follow-up inspection
The most significant development came two days after the closure. In a September 9 reopening announcement, the health department said its inspector confirmed that all required corrective actions had been completed during a September 4 follow-up visit.
That inspection resulted in a green “pass” placard, allowing Waikoloa Restaurant & Bar to resume operations. The department identified Ofelia Shively as the establishment’s operator.
The sequence matters. A red placard indicates serious conditions requiring immediate intervention, but it does not necessarily mean a restaurant has permanently closed. In this case, state inspectors documented the problems, required specific repairs and sanitation measures, and then verified the corrections before allowing reopening.
The state announcements do not establish that customers became ill, and neither announcement describes a confirmed foodborne illness outbreak associated with the restaurant. The publicly documented outcome is a temporary health-department closure followed by authorization to reopen.
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