Health Dept. Satisfied, Baskin Robbins Reopens

Baskin Robbins reopened yesterday morning after the Ridgefield Health Department closed the ice cream shop for a week because of health violations which had to do with the owner sleeping there overnight.

Last week, the town’s Health Department’s Director Edward Briggs said that he had to be thoroughly assured that those violations would not continue in order for the shop to be reopened. On Monday, Briggs spoke with Dunkin Brands, Baskin Robbins’ franchisee, the owner and the owner’s daughter to gain that assurance. He was satisfied.

“While the place was closed, it was enough to clean and organize it; it allowed me time to talk to the daughter and figure out the situation and talk to Dunkin Brands to work out an agreement for everybody’s benefit,” said Briggs.

Briggs said that conversations with the daughter, who also assists her mother with work in the shop, helped facilitate clear communications with the owner.  

“She understands fully now that she’s not to be sleeping there, or have anything that indicates that she’s sleeping there at all, even occasionally,” said Briggs.

However, if another violation occurs, it would mean the end of Ridgefield Baskin Robbins’ owner Linda Wang’s vendor license.

“She understands the bottom line and that it [another violation] would result in an immediate revocation of her license the next time it happens,” said Briggs.

It’s not clear why Wang was sleeping at the shop, but it may have had to do with receiving late-night supplies. Briggs said that they were working to “get the delivery schedule altered so as not to get products delivered late at night.”

Two weeks ago Baskin Robbins received a failing grade of 82 during a health inspection because it was reportedly cluttered and personal products were found in the shop. On Monday it was inspected again and received a near-perfect score of 98.