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The Winchester Board of Health has temporarily closed down Gloria’s Pizzeria following a re-inspection for previous and continuing code violations.
Gloria’s owner Steven Beck attended a hearing May 30 with Health Department staff and Brian Winner, the town’s counsel, to discuss the ongoing issues facing the 920 Main St. business.
An email request from Winchester News to Beck requesting comment from the owner or a legal representative has gone unanswered.
A letter sent to Beck from Jennifer Murphy, Winchester’s director of public health, outlined the dual purpose of the meeting as “a) discuss your appeal of certain conditions of the Health Department Order of May 16, 2025, specifically the requirement that you engage a Food Safety Consultant and b) discuss and take potential action in response to your lack of compliance with the timelines noted within the same Order, i.e. to consider whether to impose a suspension per the Board’s May 16, 2025 order.”
Murphy’s letter went on state Beck was allowed time to answer questions and provide any additional information related to “the compliance status of your food establishment.”
“After reviewing all information, the BOH determined that imminent health hazards exist at Gloria’s Pizzeria, which requires the immediate suspension of the food establishment permit, as documented on Health Department inspection reports including that of May 29, 2025,” the letter continues.
The letter goes on to state the business failed to comply with health code requirements and “engaged in conduct that endangers the public health.”
The letter stated the “Board of Health voted to suspend your permit to operate Gloria’s Pizzeria. You must cease all food service operations at the establishment immediately. The suspension will remain in full effect until you have satisfied all conditions noted within this Order.”
The letter went on to outline several conditions Beck must comply with following the suspension:
• Submit payment for “three outstanding, repeat violations noted during the inspection of May 14, 2025, and again on May 29, 2025. The total amount of the fine is $2,400 ($50 per each violation for 16 days). Payment may be made to the Town of Winchester and submitted to the Health Department.”
• “Designate or otherwise add at minimum, one other “Person-In-Charge” (PIC) with Food Manager Safety certification for a total of 2 PICs at minimum for the establishment. This is required to ensure that a knowledgeable PIC is on staff at all hours of operation.”
• Contract a “Food Safety Consultant. A copy of the contract or other written proof that you have engaged in a written contract must be submitted to the Health Department. The contract must include, at minimum, 2 unannounced, weekly audits of Gloria’s Pizzeria food operations and associated areas. Audits must commence immediately upon removal of suspension and must be conducted over consecutive weeks for a duration of 3 consecutive months. All issues/violations must be written and noted during the audit and must be followed up by consultant until corrected.”
• Submit the following information to the Health Department including “all outstanding rodent reports not submitted to date as previously required (April 1, 2025 through May 15, 2025).”
The letter went on to add Beck was to “contract with a Pest Control Operator for weekly visits and submit contract or written proof of the contract to the Health Department.”
The board required “a full rodent assessment of physical facility to identify points for exclusion work and other factors contributing to rodents entering the establishment,” as well as correcting “all structural deficiencies and rodent points of entry of facility.”
• Correct all “outstanding violations notated in previous inspection reports. See report of May 29, 2025, including removing dead mice from walled off area (repeat violation),” and submitting a “plan for daily rodent/rodent dropping monitoring and correction by staff with roles identified.”
• A “full physical deep cleaning of establishment and equipment.”
And finally, the board required that as of June, Beck “shall report in-person directly to the Board at their next public meeting and at each subsequent monthly meeting for the next six (6) consecutive months.”
What was found?
The most recent inspection was undertaken May 29 by inspector Cameron Bishop, who found the Person In Charge (PIC) was not present.
According to the inspection report, Bishop also found the staff “are not informed in a verifiable method of their responsibilities about their health and activities as they relate to diseases that are transmissible through food. This is a repeat violation.”
Bishop added he observed a “food employee touch their face, then grab a beverage from cooler, drink from the beverage, touch their face, grab their phone, and then proceed to start a customer’s order.”
In his report, Bishop stated he “intervened, reviewed the violation, and observed the food employee properly wash their hands. This violation was also observed on 4/30/2025 from a food employee at the deli preparation station. At that time, it was also corrected on site.”
Bishop added there is “a history of reoccurence with this violation.”
The health inspector also observed “components of the deli slicer with soil accumulations including but not limited to: the plate where the meat/cheese product is mounted, the machine parts that directly touch food, and other parts of the deli slicer.”
He indicated that “given the areas observed with soil accumulations, it is evident that this machine is not disassembled, cleaned, and sanitized at their required timeframes.”
The report added the violation was observed during inspections on April 17, April 30 and again on May 29.
Other repeat violations included “cutting boards at the sandwich units deeply scored and scratched. Cutting boards must be resurfaced and/or replaced so that they are smooth, easily cleanable, and without defects.”
Additionally, it was noted “the left lightbulb inside the hood system to not be working as intended. Lightbulb must be replaced so it works as intended. This is a repeat.”
Also found during Bishop’s inspection were “rodent droppings in the following areas of the establishment: on the floor of the employee side of the food-service counter, in the cubbies underneath the food-service counter, on the counter and inside the cubbies of the delivery/takeout area, on the bottom shelf of the deli preparation station, underneath the dining room tables, on the floor behind the freezers that holds frozen food products next to the pizza oven, on the bottom shelf of the cook line where sanitizer buckets are stored, underneath the metro racks outside of the bathroom, inside of the empty plastic bins where chemicals and drying cloths are stored, on the floor inside of the shared closet of the adjacent business, and inside of the beverage cases on the metro rack outside of the bathroom.”
The report stated this is a repeated violation.
Bishop also found two “dead mice behind the freezer that is adjacent to the pizza oven. The 2 dead mice are only visible from the outside, where a door and wall block off the area.”
This was also a repeat violation.
