The state Division of Public Health has closed Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken for “imminent health hazards” after an Aug. 21 fire in the kitchen of the new fast-casual restaurant in Newark’s former College Square shopping center, now called The Grove at Newark.
After an Aug. 24 restaurant visit by a public health inspector, a cease and desist order was issued, effective immediately, according to state public health records requested by Delaware Online/The News Journal.
“Imminent hazards exist” due to a fire in the kitchen area, according to a report.
Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken at 250 Grove Lane began serving customers on July 5. It is owned and operated by franchise owner Wei Jiang.
New businesses:Bonchon, 2SPizza and a Hyatt hotel: New businesses and other changes to expect in Newark
The chain was born in Busan, South Korea, in 2002, and has grown to more than 385 international locations including sites in Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, Myanmar, Australia and Vietnam. There are more than 115 Bonchon restaurants in the United States.
The Bonchon chain hand-batters its wings, drumsticks and strips, and then double-fries the chicken for more crispiness. The name Bonchon is a Korean word meaning “my hometown.”
According to an inspection report, the Division of Public Health office received a call on Aug. 24 from The City of Newark Code Enforcement as well as from the owner of Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken regarding a fire.
The owner said “the fire happened around 1 a.m. Sunday, August 21, 2022. The fire was on the bottom of the deep fryer and damaged the deep fryer. The Ansul system or fire alarms did not go off,” according to the report.
The store owner came to the site on Sunday around 10 a.m. and “saw that the deep fryer had caught on fire,” the inspection report reads.
“I observed a severely burned deep fryer in the kitchen. A small sandwich refrigerator located next to the fryer had a large black mark on the side. Black soot was found on plastic forks, to-go containers, floor and equipment. Grease deposits were also found on a work table next to the deep fryers,” a state health inspector wrote in the Aug. 24 report.
The Department of Health said the owner must remove the damaged deep fryer and replace it, discard all open items that have been contaminated by soot and smoke debris, and clean and sanitize all utensils, cooking equipment, floor, walls and ceilings.
Any equipment that has been damaged due to the fire must also be removed, an inspector said, and any food items that may have been contaminated must be discarded.
The City of Newark Code Enforcement and the fire marshal closed the facility due to the Aug. 21 fire, and the subsequent investigation they need to complete, said Timothy Turane, spokesman for the Division of Public Health.
He said they “identified several issues with the fire suppression system that requires correction.”
Turane also said the Bonchon owner “was educated on incidents that are required to be reported immediately to the Division of Public Health per the Food Code.”
On Tuesday afternoon around noon, a couple of potential Bonchon customers walked up to the restaurant and read the signs on the front door. No one appeared to be inside the locked building.
One handwritten sign read, “Sorry, we are temporarily closed. Deep fryers catch fire. We need to replace it. 8/22/2022.”
Above it was an orange sign from the city of Newark that read “Condemned. Dangerous and unsafe. Danger – Keep out.” Another orange sign next to it was the closed posting from the state Department of Health and Social Services.
More:Why live music at Yorklyn’s Dew Point Brewing Co. is up for debate among neighbors
An email sent to the restaurant’s public relations firm was not immediately returned on Tuesday afternoon. A recorded message on the restaurant’s answering system Tuesday said “this location is temporarily closed and will be reopening soon.”
No other information was available.
Bonchon Chicken must be re-inspected by the state before it can reopen, Rick Hong, the division’s acting director, wrote in an Aug. 24 letter.
Reopening without prior approval of the Division of Public Health will result in fines up to $1,000.
Contact Patricia Talorico at ptalorico@delawareonline.com and follow her on Twitter @pattytalorico
