DOH temporarily closes Pinky's on 1st Street

An EVG reader, who says he's a fan of the new Pinky's Space on First Street, was disappointed to find the to-go shop closed in recent weeks.

There isn't any mention of a temporary closure on the Pinky's website or social media channels.

According to public records, the Health Department closed Pinky's following an inspection on Feb. 13. In total, there are 121 violation points ... the most serious, per the DOH website: "Food from unapproved or unknown source or home canned. Reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) fish not frozen before processing; or ROP foods prepared on premises transported to another site."

According to Pinky's crowdfunding campaign:

Pinky's will be a GRAB & GO food chain offering a 7 item menu with multiple locations located in small venues (approximately 150 sq/ft) next to high traffic NYC subway stations. We will offer healthy Southern American & French style cuisine served hot and packaged fresh in vibrant packaging creatively designed for easy commute and convenient dining.

Pinky's wants to keep life simple for everyone. Food operations will be streamlined by utilizing a central kitchen to prepare and cook all food with daily deliveries to each location. A limited menu will also keep the overall system simple and efficient for both customers and personnel. Each store will be simplistic and require minimal investment. They will require a steam table, refrigerator, sink, and countertop.

With all food prepared offsite, each location can swiftly serve customers with minimal time and effort as well as minimal staff (2 per store). There's no need for expensive real estate to house kitchen space or expensive equipment to outfit each restaurant. Additional locations can also be seamlessly integrated into network operations with minimal time and expense.

Looks as if there are a few issues to address to make this concept work within the Health Department's guidelines. (Other violations included "HACCP plan not approved or approved HACCP plan not maintained on premises.")

And the reader likely didn't know about the violations given that the DOH's yellow "closed" sticker was covered up on the front door...



Pinky's opened in early January, receiving coverage on UrbanDaddy and ABC 7.