New Empire Market, 526 E. Ninth Street - photo from Google Earth

In August

History: Has never gotten a more serious β€œprobationary” rating, but has gotten several β€œneeds improvement” ratings and failed followup inspections. Since 2000, it has received mostly β€œexcellent” and β€œgood” ratings.

What the inspector saw: A series of failed August inspections stems from a June inspection where health department staff discovered that a three-bin sink was β€œdirectly plumbed to the sewer,” which is not allowed for sinks used to hold food equipment or utensils.

Follow-up: The market failed three follow-up inspections in August.

Response: Owner Tun Lee said the sink is not being used, and he is looking for a plumber to carry out necessary repairs.


Become a #ThisIsTucson member! Your contribution helps our team bring you stories that keep you connected to the community. Become a member today.