Dozens of Los Angeles County Restaurants Temporarily Closed for Vermin, Sanitation Violations

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health ordered temporary closures of multiple restaurants and markets for vermin infestations and high-priority sanitation failures, with a detailed list covering closures between July 23 and Sept. 3, 2025; a separate report said closures have occurred since the start of the year. Public-health inspections focus on maintaining safe food temperatures, proper food handling, employee hygiene and keeping facilities clean and free of vermin, a category that typically includes rodents, cockroaches, flies and ants.

Many of the closures cited vermin infestations; others were tied to sanitation breakdowns, lack of permits and failures of handwashing or sanitizing capacity. Examples from the supplied closure entries include establishments that reopened after several days of remediation and others that remained closed as of Sept. 3, 2025, suggesting a mix of short-term fixes and longer shutdowns. KTLA noted, "Most of the closures are temporary and last only a few days until the businesses remedy the issues. Others remain closed indefinitely."

Reported establishments and details from the supplied list include the following. 2nd Healthy Eatery, 16203 Clark Ave., Bellflower. Reason for closure: No public health permit. La La Land Kind Cafe, 4799 Commons Way E., Calabasas. Reason for closure: No reason provided. Closed: Aug. 26, 2025. Reopened: Aug. 28, 2025. La Pequena Michoacana, 4433 Alameda St., #A23, Los Angeles. Reason for closure: No method to clean and sanitize available. Closed: Aug. 20, 2025. Reopened: Remained closed as of Sept. 3, 2025. La Playa Restaurant, 1642 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles. Reason for closure: Vermin infestation. Closed: Aug. 4, 2025. Reopened: Aug. 8, 2025. La Pupusa Urban Eatery, 1051 W. Washington Blvd., Unit G, Los Angeles. Reason for closure: Vermin infestation. Closed: Aug. 7, 2025. Reopened: Aug. 14, 2025. La Vaca Brazilian Grill, 6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd., #Fc1, Canoga Park. Reason for closure: Vermin infestation. Closed: Aug. 28, 2025. Reopened: Aug. 30, 2025. El Sazon Oaxaqueno, 12131 Washington Pl., #A, Los Angeles. Reason for closure: Vermin infestation. Closed: July 28, 2025. Reopened: Aug. 1, 2025. El Taurino, 1104 S. Hoover St., Los Angeles. Reason for closure: Vermin infestation. Closed: Aug. 20, 2025. Reopened: Aug. 25, 2025. El Tenampa, 8002 Seville Ave., Huntington Park. Reason for closure: Vermin infestation. Closed: Aug. 18, 2025. Reopened: Aug. 21, 2025. Fernando’s Bar, 3230 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles. Reason for closure: Vermin infestation. Closed: July 31, 2025. Reopened: Remained closed as of Sept. 3, 2025. Flame International, 11330 Santa Monica Blvd., #B, Los Angeles. Reason for closure: Vermin infestation. Closed: Aug. 6, 2025. Reopened: Aug. 13, 2025. Flexx Restaurant, 340 S. Thomas St., Pomona. Listed with no reason or dates provided in the supplied excerpt.

For employees, closures can mean immediate lost shifts, interrupted paychecks and uncertainty about return-to-work timelines. Short-term reopenings after remediation may allow most staff to resume schedules quickly, but businesses that remain closed for extended periods can trigger layoffs, reduced hours and increased pressure on managers to cover remediation costs such as pest control, deep cleaning and repairs. Workers tasked with cleanup or pest-control coordination may face added responsibilities and potential exposure risks without clear protections.

The supplied material is a partial excerpt; the detailed entries cover July 23-Sept. 3, 2025, while another summary asserts closures have occurred since the start of the year. For a fuller tally and specific inspection reports, requests to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health would confirm the total number of orders, the exact violation codes cited and current statuses for each business named.

The closures underline persistent operational gaps in vermin control, sanitation and permit compliance. For restaurant employees, the immediate priorities are documentation of missed wages and employer communications about pay and rehiring; for operators, the takeaway is that routine pest prevention, functioning handwashing stations and up-to-date permits are not optional if a business wants to avoid forced downtime and reputational damage. Expect additional follow-up from regulators and more closure notices until those basic controls are consistently maintained.