Following a routine inspection last Wednesday, the Paradise Supermart Fast Food & Catering located in Kahului has been slapped with a red "closed" placard by the Hawai‘i Department of Health's Maui Food Safety Branch. According to their official report, multiple critical food safety violations were found, which included a lack of managerial oversight, improper hand-washing, and foods not held at proper temperatures among various other health concerns. This isn't the first brush with the law for Paradise Supermart; they were previously closed down in November 2023 for similar offenses that posed an "imminent health hazard."

Despite being a spot for food procurement, the violations articulated by the DOH do not paint a paradise for the consumer, with the presence of mold on food, cockroaches and flies in the food prep area, and lax sanitization. The health department has outlined concrete steps for the store to take before it can reopen, demanding pest control intervention, thorough cleaning, and reparations to equipment. 

The store was given until today to submit their corrective action plan and timeline, as per Hawai‘i Department of Health.