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63 Bar and Grill Closed by City for Health Violations

By Benjamin Woodard | January 22, 2015 6:18am | Updated on January 22, 2015 2:15pm
 The owner of  63 Bar and Grill said a series of "unlucky" events led to its closure, including a broken pipe.
The owner of  63 Bar and Grill said a series of "unlucky" events led to its closure, including a broken pipe.
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Update: 63 Bar and Grill re-opened Thursday morning.

EDGEWATER — 63 Bar and Grill was shuttered Tuesday by the city for health violations after a stroke of "bad luck," its owner said.

City inspectors found 12 violations, some critical, including cooler temperatures too warm for food and a lack of hot water at the bar, 6341 N. Broadway.

But Nick Nozinic, one of the bar's owners, said the inspectors happened to show up at the bar the morning after a basement pipe broke, clogging the sewer, causing flooding and shutting down water heaters.

"It was a pipe break, and the sewer got clogged at the same time. It was like a swimming pool in the basement," he said Wednesday night. "It was just bad luck."

The city found other violations, including the lack of a certified food handler at the bar during business hours.

Nozinic said the inspectors came early, about 11:25 a.m., when the bar opened and no certified employees were there yet.

The inspectors also found vegetables, salsa, blue cheese, corn, sour cream and more food stored in the 45.4 to 49.5-degree range. The city requires potentially hazardous foods to be stored at or below 40 degrees, according to the report.

Nozinic said the coolers were fixed and adjusted to correct temperatures on Tuesday.

He also said other violations — such as faulty sinks, a broken door sweep and unlabeled food containers — were corrected Tuesday while the inspectors took a lunch break before conducting a reinspection.

But the two feet of standing water in the basement and the damage it caused wasn't fixed in time.

"There was so much destroyed boxes and [sewage] in the basement, it was hard to get it cleaned," he said.

Nozinic said he manages other restaurants in Chicago and had a crew work overnight to clean the basement.

"I can’t blame the city," he said. "It is what it is."

63 Bar Inspection

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