Magics Beach Grill reopens in Kona after food safety violations corrected

Magics Beach Grill was allowed to reopen in Kailua-Kona after Hawaiʻi Department of Health inspectors said the restaurant corrected a cluster of critical food safety violations that had forced it to close earlier in the week.

The oceanfront restaurant at 77-6452 Aliʻi Drive, operated by Mattson Davis, received a red “closed” placard on April 9, 2026, after a DOH food safety specialist inspected the business in response to a report of a foodborne illness potentially connected to the establishment. A follow-up inspection on the afternoon of April 10 confirmed the hazards had been corrected, and DOH authorized reopening on April 12.

Inspectors found multiple foods being held above the required cold-holding temperature of 41 degrees Fahrenheit. They also found that most of the restaurant’s refrigeration units, including the primary walk-in refrigerator, were not keeping food at 41 F or below. In addition, food had been organized improperly inside refrigeration units, creating a higher risk of cross-contamination.

To get back into compliance, the restaurant had to discard food that was not at the proper temperature, service all refrigeration units so they could maintain safe cold-holding temperatures, and retrain employees on proper food storage practices. Those are the kinds of failures that can turn a busy dining room into a public-health problem in a matter of hours, especially when cooling systems are not working as they should.

The closure also underscores why the state’s placard system exists. Hawaiʻi’s Food Safety Branch says its inspections cover food establishments where food is prepared, manufactured, distributed or sold, and the color-coded placards are meant to inform the public of the most recent inspection results and reduce foodborne illness risk. A red placard is posted when an imminent health hazard is observed or a permit is suspended, and the facility remains closed until a follow-up inspection confirms the hazard no longer exists. The program was implemented on February 24, 2014 under Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules Chapter 11-50.

For diners on Hawaiʻi Island, the case is another reminder to check the placard before sitting down, especially in a county where enforcement has not been limited to one neighborhood. The Department of Health has recently issued red placards to other Big Island restaurants, including Kenichi Pacific in Kailua-Kona in August 2025 and Hiro’s Place in Hilo in March 2025, showing that inspectors do close businesses when critical violations are found. The reopening notice did not include a public statement from the restaurant or its customers.