Restaurant Rodent Violations in Buncombe County, NC

Restaurants, cafes, breweries with food, food trucks and other food establishments in Asheville are inspected by Buncombe County Environmental Health. The inspections follow North Carolina's rules for food establishments, 15A NCAC 18A Section .2600, and each one ends with a grade card that has to stay posted where customers can see it.

Rodents show up on inspections as droppings, gnaw marks, live or dead rodents, and gaps that let pests in. This guide explains the rules, the grading scale, how to look up a restaurant's inspection history and how to keep a kitchen ready for the next visit. It is general information. For your permit, follow the county's direction.

Who inspects food businesses in Asheville

Buncombe County Environmental Health, part of the county's public health department, enforces North Carolina health laws and rules in the county. Its food and lodging program inspects restaurants, lodging, pools, daycares and tattoo facilities. The division is at 35 Woodfin Street in Asheville, and its program phone is (828) 250-5016.

The same division investigates rat and other public health nuisance complaints, so a complaint about rodents around a restaurant goes there as well.

Fletcher and Hendersonville are in Henderson County, which runs its own food and lodging program.

The rules behind the inspection

North Carolina's food establishment rules are in 15A NCAC 18A Section .2600. The section includes rules on adoption of standards by reference (.2650), physical facilities (.2656), compliance and enforcement (.2658), public display of grade cards (.2660), inspections and reinspections (.2661) and grading (.2662), among others.

The state's Division of Public Health revised several of these rules with a proposed effective date of October 1, 2021, to align them with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 2017 Food Code and its supplement. The Food Code is the model most states use for food safety. Pest control, keeping outer openings protected and keeping premises free of conditions that attract pests are long-standing parts of it.

An inspector looking for rodents checks dry storage, behind and under equipment, walk-in coolers, the dish area, back doors, drains, the dumpster area and any basement or storage room. Droppings, nesting, gnawed packaging and daylight under a door are the usual findings.

Grades and minimum scores

According to the NC Restaurant and Lodging Association's summary of the inspection rules:

A grade card is issued every time a food establishment is inspected.
The owner or operator is responsible for keeping the grade card posted and readily visible.
Grade A means a score of 90 percent or higher.
Grade B means 80 percent to below 90 percent.
Grade C means 70 percent to below 80 percent.
No establishment receiving a score of less than 70 percent may operate.

Rodent findings cost points and often come with required corrections. Repeated pest problems can lead to closer follow-up. Check with Environmental Health for how reinspections and corrections work for your permit.

How to look up a restaurant's inspections

Buncombe County publishes instructions for finding inspection reports:

1. Go to Buncombe County Citizen Access. 2. Click Environmental Health. You do not need an account to view inspections. 3. Type the establishment's name in the Establishment Name box and press Enter. 4. Click the record number for the location, then open Record Info and choose Attachments. 5. Sort by Latest Update to see the newest inspections first. 6. Click the inspection you want to read.

Reports list the violations found, so you can see whether rodents or pest gaps came up.

Running a kitchen? Get a program set up

Your call goes to an independent rodent control provider serving Asheville and Buncombe County. Describe what you are seeing and ask for the plan and the price in writing before any work starts.

(828) 503-0038Tap to call · Free to call

Keeping a kitchen ready

A rodent program for a food business is ongoing work. These habits and services cover the usual findings:

A licensed pest control provider on a regular schedule, often monthly, with written service reports and a device map kept on site.
Interior traps and monitors away from food prep, and tamper-resistant bait stations outside if used. EPA rules require tamper-resistant stations for above-ground outdoor placements and wherever children, pets or wildlife could reach bait.
Door sweeps on back and side doors, screens on vents, sealed gaps around pipes and conduit, and drains with intact covers.
Dry goods stored off the floor in sealed containers, with stock rotated and spills cleaned the same day.
Back doors closed except during deliveries, and deliveries checked for droppings and gnawed packaging.
Dumpster lids closed, the pad cleaned and grease containers sealed.
A quick staff routine for reporting droppings or sightings the same day.

For a full program, see restaurant rodent control, and confirm the provider's license with our guide to verifying a North Carolina pest control license.

Why Asheville kitchens face extra pressure

Many Asheville restaurants and breweries operate in older buildings with shared walls, basements and alleys, in downtown, West Asheville, Biltmore Village and the River Arts District. Rodents move between businesses along those walls.

Hurricane Helene added another layer. Smithsonian magazine reported that floodwater damaged an estimated 80 percent of the buildings in the River Arts District, and Biltmore Village also flooded. Businesses that rebuilt have new utility lines, drains and doors, and any of them can leave gaps. An inspection of the building shell after repairs is cheap insurance. See our pages on the River Arts District and Biltmore Village.

What to do if an inspector finds rodents

If an inspection turns up droppings, nesting or pest gaps, the first step is to read the report closely and follow the inspector's direction on corrections and timing. Then:

1. Call your pest control provider for a same-week visit, and ask for a written report that lists what was found, what was done and what was sealed. 2. Clean and sanitize the affected areas, and throw out any food or packaging that rodents may have touched. 3. Fix the gaps the inspector noted, like door sweeps, holes around pipes and broken drain covers. 4. Review storage: dry goods off the floor and in sealed containers, and nothing stored against walls where it hides droppings. 5. Talk with staff about closing back doors, reporting sightings and taking out trash on schedule. 6. Keep every report and receipt on file in case Environmental Health follows up.

If you are unsure what a finding means or what the county expects, call Buncombe County Environmental Health and ask. Staff can explain the report.

Frequently asked questions

What score does a North Carolina restaurant need to operate?

At least 70 percent, according to the NC Restaurant and Lodging Association's summary of the rules. A is 90 or above, B is 80 to below 90 and C is 70 to below 80.

Who inspects restaurants in Asheville?

Buncombe County Environmental Health, through its food and lodging program.

Can I see a restaurant's past inspections?

Yes. Use Buncombe County Citizen Access, choose Environmental Health and search by establishment name. No account is needed.

How often should a restaurant have pest service?

Monthly is common for food businesses, with extra visits when activity shows up. The provider should leave written reports each time.

Where do I report rodents I saw in a restaurant?

Buncombe County Environmental Health. For restaurants in Fletcher or Hendersonville, contact Henderson County.

Do food trucks fall under the same rules?

Mobile food units and pushcarts have their own rules within 15A NCAC 18A Section .2600. Check with Buncombe County Environmental Health about permits and inspections for your unit.

Get a rodent technician on the phone

Free to call. You are connected with an independent provider serving Asheville and the rest of Buncombe County. Same-day appointments are often available.