Victorian restaurants fork out more than $443k in court fines for food breaches
Rat poo, mould and room temperature “cool rooms” were what health inspectors uncovered as they investigated some of the state’s dirtiest restaurants, forcing many to shut down.
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Grubby Victorian restaurants have been whacked with big fines after they were busted breaching food safety laws, putting customers’ health at risk
Last year 15 Victorian restaurants were convicted and slapped with a combined total of more than $443,000 in court fines after they breached food safety regulations.
The 15 businesses were also forced to cough up nearly $250,000 in legal fees.
It comes as 13 Melbourne councils fined restaurants more than $460,000 from 306 infringement notices in 2023.
Among the offenders on the state’s food safety name and shame list were former A’Beckett St restaurant Cupanda Kitchen and Criniti’s in Carlton, known for its 2m length pizzas.
City of Melbourne, Greater Geelong and Boroondara had three restaurants in their respective municipalities convicted last year.
Of the 15 convicted eateries four have since shut down.
But Victoria’s list of offenders for 2024 was not nearly as long as those in other states where unsanitary behaviour — and several rodents — ran wild.
Between January 2024 and early 2025, 17 Western Australian food businesses — including a Hungry Jack’s and Muffin Break — were convicted under the state’s food safety act.
While only two New South Wales businesses were convicted last year and paid a combined sum of nearly $60,000 in court fines, the state dished out nearly $800,000 in penalty notices as more than 900 businesses were fined.
A penalty notice in NSW was worth $880.
The Fraternity Club and Pizza Hut Cambridge Gardens were the two NSW businesses convicted and fined last year.
Likewise, more than 40 Brisbane businesses bore the brunt of massive penalties after they were taken to court last year.
Last year 47 Brisbane restaurants and eateries were issued more than $650,000 in fines for various breaches, with cockroaches, pest poo and even a dead bird discovered inside kitchens.
Convicted Victorian restaurants
These Victorian restaurants are listed on the Department of Health’s food safety register of convictions.
Cupanda Kitchen
This mouse infested A’Beckett St restaurant was busted operating in “revolting” conditions which included rat poo being in contact with cooked meat.
Melbourne City Council inspectors spotted filth including rat droppings on eating utensils and shelving at the restaurant located in earshot of Victoria Market.
Inspectors first became aware of the Chinese restaurant in 2022 after they received food hygeine concerns.
Among the concerning observations made included grime build up, uncovered raw food, broken taps and “large uncovered sauces” stored underneath a handwash basin.
While owners were able to rectify issues and reopen for business, inspectors found many of the same issues upon their return 12 months later, including finding rat droppings in contact with food.
The company — which has since shut down — was convicted and fined $20,000.
Criniti’s Carlton
The popular Faraday St restaurant — renowned for its 2m length pizzas — was fined a whopping aggregate $65,000 various breaches.
Chief among them was failing to store the food in such a way that it is protected from the likelihood of contamination, as well as failing to take “to take all practicable measures to eradicate and prevent the harbourage of pests on the food premises and those parts of vehicles that are used to transport food.”
The company behind the Italian restaurant — CCPR Pty Ltd — was convicted and fined in January 2024 at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for its offending in 2022.
Empress of China
The popular Chinatown restaurant was busted in November last year after it sold food that “was not of the nature or substance demanded by the purchaser”.
Linao International — which owned the restaurant — was fined $10,000 with conviction and had to pay an addition $4700 in legal fees.
It comes after the restaurant was slapped with a $26,000 fine in 2018 for 12 food safety breaches.
Tirupati Indian Grocery
Tirupati Indian Grocery Mini Mart and Restaurant Werribee’s various food act breaches were so serious the grotty venue was prosecuted at the County Court.
Peddi admitted, on behalf of the business, to assault, obstruct or attempt to obstruct, threaten, abuse, insult, intimidate or attempt to intimidate an authorised officer or other person in the exercise of his powers or authorities.
The food safety breaches, which occurred between May 2021 and March 2022, included handling food intended for sale in a manner that will render, or likely to render, the food unsafe.
The business also failed to take all practicable measures to prevent pests entering the food premises.
The restaurant also failed to have hand washing facilities where they could be easily accessed by food handlers.
Owner Thirupathi Peddi was convicted and fined $46,000.
He was also ordered to pay $80,000 in court costs.
Sarawak Kitchen
This rat-infested Malaysian restaurant in Melbourne’s southeast was busted with rat poo and dead rodents in contact with meat.
In October last year Sarawak Kitchen owner Joe Wang pleaded guilty to multiple breaches after the filthy eatery was closed by a Monash council inspector in 2022.
Inspectors found 13 breaches, including a “cool room” — which stored chicken, fish and pork — with a temperature of 16.3C.
Evidence of “significant rodent infestation” including rat poo around cooking equipment was also discovered.
With conviction, the Clayton restaurant’s owner — Tropical Kingdom Pty Ltd — was fined $45,000 as part of an aggregate order.
Groundworks Cafe
Rat droppings inside a sugar container and raw meat juice seeping through its fridges were enough for this Ballarat cafe to cop a big fine with conviction.
Groundworks Cafe — based inside the Stockland Wendouree shopping centre — pleaded guilty to multiple food safety charges.
During a 10 month period inspectors discovered oil and sludge pooling near cooking equipment, chicken blood and juices contaminating unprotected food, rodent faeces and urine in storage containers and on equipment and benches.
The company behind the cafe — DHA Enterprises — was convicted and fined $40,000.
Shinya Ramen & Bar
Staff at this Geelong Japanese restaurant — which has since closed — were found not washing their hands after handling raw chicken.
Inspectors found multiple breaches during various visits to Shinya Ramen, including mould growing in the kitchen and a staff member using a cloth they used to wipe down a bench which had raw chicken on it to wipe down other areas.
A build up of grease and dirt was also discovered, with various meats also found uncovered and without dates on the packaging in the cool room.
The Shinya Japanese Group was fined $25,000 as part of an aggregate order with conviction.
Routley’s Bakery
Routley’s Bakery in North Geelong pleaded guilty to a Food Act breach after a 15-year-old boy had an allergic reaction.
The bakery had been hired to provide lunch to Murray High School students during a school trip to Melbourne’s Eureka Skydeck.
The student — who was severely allergic to eggs — had been provided with a lunch pack that “no egg” marked on the packaging but the bakery forgot to remove a muffin from the pack which had eggs listed as an ingredient.
The boy had a reaction immediately after his first bite, with the boy spending the night in hospital.
The company — Routleys (Vic) — was convicted and fined $10,000.
Now & Then Cafe
Kew cafe Now & Then was convicted in May last year after it failed, when processing food, to take all necessary steps to prevent the likelihood of food being contaminated.
The business also failed to maintain at or near each hand wash facility, a supply of warm running water.
The business also failed to take all practicable measures to prevent pests entering the food premises.
As a result the cafe’s owner Now and Then Holdings was fined $30,000 with conviction.
Bay View Bar and Grill
Geelong restaurant Bay View Bar and Grill was forced to cough up $38,000 after breaching food safety regulations.
The eatery — which has since closed — was prosecuted by Greater Geelong City Council after it handled food intended for sale in an unsafe manner between November 2022 and July 2024.
It also failed to properly store food and did not maintain easily accessible hand washing facilities.
It also ran for most of 2024 despite not being properly registered.
The company behind the restaurant — Geelong Waterfront Seafood & Grill — and owner Tao Mu were convicted.
LTJ Food Services
The Surrey Hills dumpling restaurant was fined $10,000 last year for a raft of food safety breaches.
LTJ Food Services — operating as LTJ Chinese Restaurant — was caught incorrectly storing food and not upholding a satisfactory level of cleanliness in the restaurant.
Food handlers inside the restaurant were also recorded not taking “all practicable measures to ensure ... he or she was wearing did not contaminate food or surfaces likely to come into contact with food.”
Owner Xiao Yang Tuo was convicted by the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in July last year.
La Tune Food Solution
Dandenong food processing company La Tune Food Solution was slapped with a massive fine in August 2024 after multiple storage and contamination breaches.
The company failed to store “potentially hazardous food” under the correct temperature and did not take the appropriate measures to ensure food was processed safely.
La Tune Food Solution was convicted and fined $50,000 as part of an aggregate order.
Bunplings
Dalian Zhiweitang — trading as Burwood East restaurant Bunplings — and owner Chen Chen were fined a combined $40,000 with conviction after several breaches in 2023.
The restaurant was caught incorrectly packaging food and storing food by Whitehorse Council inspectors.
The company was convicted at the Ringwood Magistrates’ Court in November 2024.
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