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| Marc Tournayre of Jules Café Patisserie. |
PopGoesTheNews.com A popular French pastry shop with a history of health infractions — nearly 35 this year alone — has finally been shut down by Toronto Public Health.
Jules Café Patisserie on Mount Pleasant at Manor Road was ordered closed on Tuesday for failing to provide adequate pest control and failing to prevent an insect infestation. An inspector also cited the eatery for six other infractions including failing to properly store solid waste, to properly wash equipment and surfaces, and to provide separate hand-washing facilities.
According to its website, Jules Café Patisserie serves "some of the best, authentic French croissants and pastries in Toronto baked by pastry chef Marc Tournayre. The café also serves salads, sandwiches, quiches and other light meals. A Toronto Life profile boasts that chef-owner Tournayre holds his own in a neighbourhood "saturated with European patisseries" and raves about its lemon curd tarts and Swiss-style pizzas topped with egg.
A 2009 customer review posted at blogto.com mentions a lack of cleanliness at Jules. "The servers, especially this female server, is slow and not very hygienic. You can notice how disorganized the counter/work areas are, and the staff are very slow to clear the 3 tables for new customers. Good food, poor service," it reads.
Indeed, Jules Café Patisserie has a bad track record with Toronto Public Health, which has given it only a Conditional Pass after three inspections this year. On June 6 an inspector found 10 violations, including failure to use proper procedures to ensure food safety, to provide accurate indicating thermometers, to properly wash surfaces, and to provide adequate pest control.
A follow-up inspection two days later resulted in nine violations, including failure to use proper utensils to ensure food safety, to maintain a mechanical washer, to provide sufficient garbage containers and to provide adequate pest control. Hoping to keep customers in the dark about the Conditional Pass it received on June 6, the café did not post the yellow inspection certificate at its entrance — and was later fined $1,130. On June 13, Jules was given a Pass.
A February 15 inspection uncovered seven infractions, including failure to provide adequate pest control, to provide adequate lighting and to "ensure the presence of the holder of a valid food handler's certificate." A Conditional Pass was replaced with a Pass following an inspection on Feb. 24.
In February 2010, Jules Café Patisserie earned only a Conditional Pass after an inspection turned up six violations, including failure to ensure food safety, to provide headgear and to properly wash surfaces. It was also cited for failing to produce the food safety inspection report upon request.
Tournayre has more than 25 years of experience in Canada and France, where he co-owned a high-end restaurant. He worked as Pastry Chef at several restaurants in Toronto before opening a pastry shop in the Beach.
UPDATE (10/21) • Jules Café Patisserie was re-inspected on Oct. 20 and received a Pass. It is open for business again.
UPDATE (10/21) • Jules Café Patisserie was re-inspected on Oct. 20 and received a Pass. It is open for business again.
