After an unwelcome hiatus that stirred not just the pots but the entire local dining scene, Hilo's White Guava Cafe is back in business, bearing a "pass" placard from the Hawai‘i Department of Health. This win for the establishment located at 54 E. Pūʻainakō St. comes on the heels of a rigorous revamp following a shutdown initiated on October 16 due to health violations which included a cringe-worthy roach infestation.
The health department's green light, signifying compliance and a return to sanitary standards, was given after a follow-up inspection yesterday verified the café's adherence to a list of must-dos: from discarding contaminated food products to mending the open-invite back door that had been welcoming pests, as reported by the Department of Health. The corrective actions also included enlisting professional pest control, cleaning protocols, and making their prep areas a no-go zone for toxic materials.
Previously, on October 14, an initial inspection had put the café on tenterhooks by issuing a yellow "conditional" placard, a clear indicator that standards were not being met. A subsequent inspection worsened the café's problems, revealing not only live roaches on food-contact surfaces but also dead ones throughout the establishment. The kitchen door—incidentally a weak point against bad weather and uninvited guests—was a critical focus in White Guava Café's beleaguered journey to redemption.
It wasn’t just about kicking out the roaches and locking the door behind them. The DOH mandated a cleansing operation so comprehensive that the café was compelled to remove all hazardous materials from prep areas—a top-to-bottom scrub that left no stone unturned and presumably no corner untouched or unswept, Hoodline previously reported. For those who came in late, up until October 16, White Guava was caught in a bit of a stormy brew.
