Kansas
Here’s where in Topeka food safety inspectors found rodent droppings, other problems
Kansas food safety and lodging inspectors found several Topeka establishments to be out of compliance with state law in March.
Kansas law delegates to the Kansas Department of Agriculture the authority to regulate food establishments, food processing plants and lodging establishments. Violations — particularly priority violations linked to causes of foodborne illness — can lead to various consequences, including the immediate closure of an establishment.
Kansas Department of Agriculture records show that while most Topeka service establishments passed inspections in March with either no violations or no serious ones, several failed. Most inspections were routine, but inspectors also visited after complaints, for licensing, follow-ups and other reasons.
Out-of-compliance food establishments in Topeka
The following establishments were listed as out of compliance with state law after inspections in March.
- Breakers Sports Bar and Grill, 8429 S.W. 10th Ave.
The March 26 routine inspection found two violations.
The cold make table in the kitchen had sour cream, ranch, blue cheese, lettuce and shredded cheese that were all too warm. The person in charge told the inspector that they unplug the table at night and plug it back in in the morning, but the inspector said they should leave it plugged in all night to ensure food remains cold.
The walk-in cooler was not keeping raw eggs, raw bacon, shredded cheese and sliced cheese cold enough. The person in charge said he turned it off that morning because an ice block was growing, and a work order had been made to have the equipment looked at.
The foods were thrown away and the kitchen voluntarily closed, as the establishment was without any fully functioning refrigeration equipment.
The inspector wrote that with the cold make table not keeping food cold enough and the walk-in not fully functioning, “The establishment does not have significant equipment to keep foods cold.”
The establishment was back in compliance after a March 27 reopening inspection.
- Travelers Inn, 3846 S.W. Topeka Blvd.
The March 26 follow-up inspection found one violation for a room that was inaccessible because the lock was not programmed to accept the key card.
The lodging establishment was in compliance after another follow-up inspection later the same day.
- Gage Center Bowl, 4200 S.W. Huntoon St.
The March 15 routine inspection found two violations.
Inspectors found rodent droppings around a pop shelf and under the counter for the snack bar, plus holes that could have been entry points for pests. The person in charge told inspectors that “they have been dealing with a rodent problem for a few months that was worse during the winter,” but they had been working with a pest control company.
The establishment was back in compliance after a March 25 follow-up inspection.
- Cafe Barnabas, 1801 S.W. Wanamaker Road, Suite G24.
The March 14 complaint inspection found four violations.
A refrigerator had raw eggs stored on a shelf above sticks of butter. A reach-in cooler had a carton of half and half that was too warm, which the inspector suggested was because the cooler was overstocked. Tea was discarded because the keg cooler did not keep it cold.
The mop sink had issues with the backflow device. The floors were “very sticky” and the walls needed to be cleaned.
The establishment was back in compliance after a March 27 follow-up inspection.
- West Ridge Lanes and Family Fun Center, 1935 S.W. Westport Drive.
The March 11 routine inspection found three violations.
The inspector found rodent droppings in the kitchen, as well as holes in the wall and gaps in the doors. The person in charge said they have been working with pest control, and the pest control report showed the holes and gaps had been reported.
The establishment was back in compliance after a March 25 follow-up inspection.
- Holiday Square-Phillips 66, 2901 S.W. Topeka Blvd.
The March 7 routine inspection found four violations.
Inspectors cited beef hot dogs held longer than seven days after opening, as well as cheddar dogs, black olives and mushrooms that did not have open or discard dates.
An employee was washing dishes without sanitizing them. She told the inspector “she did not know what the sanitizing process was and had never been trained.” Additionally, the hot water temperature in the ware-washing sink was not getting hot enough.
The establishment was back in compliance after a March 8 follow-up inspection.
- Artismo Gallery and Bistro, 816 N. Kansas Ave.
The March 1 routine inspection found four violations.
There was no food thermometer, there were no test strips for the dish sanitizer, a quesadilla maker and a panini bread press were dirty and the business had been operating for a month without a license.
The establishment was back in compliance after a March 22 follow-up inspection.
Inspections found these Topeka establishments were in compliance
The following service establishments were in compliance when inspectors visited in March with either no violations or only relatively minor ones.
- Five Guys Burgers and Fries, 1191 S.W. Wanamaker Road, Suite B.
- The Forgotten Grain, 841 N. Washington St., Suite B in Auburn.
- Gambino’s Pizza, 844 N. Washington in Auburn.
- Highland Park High School, 2424 S.E. California Ave.
- Pine Ridge Prep School, 1110 S.E. Highland Ave.
- Qdoba Mexican Eats, 1025 S.W. Wanamaker Road, Suite A.
- Hotel Topeka at City Center, 1717 S.W. Topeka Blvd.
- Arby’s, 1820 S.E. 29th St.
- Little Caesars’s, 5329 S.W. 21st St.
- Sonic Drive In, 5922 S.W. 21st St.
- Wingstop, 2121 S.W. Wanamaker Road, Suite 103.
- Goodcents Deli Fresh Subs, 2060 N.W. Topeka Blvd.
- Logan Elementary School, 1124 N.W. Lyman Road.
- Pollos Junior, 2601 S.W. Sixth Ave.
- Tecumseh South Elementary, 3346 S.E. Tecumseh Road in Tecumseh.
- Wendy’s, 728 S.W. Topeka Blvd.
- Dillons fuel kiosk, 2101 S.W. Fairlawn Road.
- Dillons, 2815 S.W. 29th St.
- Eddy’s Mexican Restaurant, 2911 S.W. 29th St.
- Marjorie French Middle School, 5257 S.W. 33rd St.
- McClure Elementary School, 2529 S.W. Chelsea Drive.
- Godfather’s Pizza, 5300 S.W. 17th St.
- Panda Express, S.W. 1920 Wanamaker Road, Suite 160.
- Chartwells at Falley Field of Washburn University, 1700 S.W. College Ave.
- Washburn University softball field and complex, 1700 S.W. College Ave.
- K Fast Track 2, 1401 S.W. Huntoon St.
- Pie Five Pizza Co., 1129 S.W. Wanamaker Road.
- Sonic Drive In, 3520 S.E. 29th St.
- Dairy Queen, 1700 S.W. Medford Ave.
- Howdy Come In, 1901 S.W. Wanamaker Road.
- Super 8, 5968 S.W. 10th Ave.
- West Ridge 8, 1727 S.W. Wanamaker Road.
- China Express, 514 S.W. 10th Ave.
- Fat Shack, 1418 S.W. Lane St.
- Baskin-Robbins, 4400 S.W. 21st St.
- PB Gas Station-Phillips 66 on I-70, 1000 S.W. Wanamaker Road.
- Arbor Court, 4200 S.W. Drury Lane.
- Church’s Chicken, 3001 S.W. 10th Ave.
- Pizza Hut, 2007 S.E. 29th St.
- PT’s Coffee Roasting Co., 929 S.W. University Blvd., Suite 2704-D2.
- Casey’s General Store, 600 S.E. Rice Road.
- Christ the King School, 5973 S.W. 25th St.
- Jay Shideler Elementary School, 4948 S.W. Wanamaker Road.
- Scott Magnet School, 401 S.E. Market St.
- Shawnee Heights Elementary School, 2410 S.E. Burton Road.
- The Smoothie and Pretzel Co., 1801 S.W. Wanamaker Road.
- Holy Family Catholic Church, 1725 N.E. Seward Ave.
- Schlotzskys, 2019 S.W. Gage Blvd.
- Subway, 2003 S.E. 29th St.
Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) — It’s been a week since the World Cup began in Kansas City, but some local businesses aren’t feeling the expected influx in traffic and are asking for support.
On Thursday, KC2026 provided numbers for the FIFA Fan Festival and the ConnectKC26 transportation system.
From June 11 to June 16, KC2026 said more than 63,000 people attended the FIFA Fan Festival.
There are mixed results for where everyone is from:
- 52% from Kansas or Missouri
- 33% from the United States
- 15% from out of the country
As of 2 p.m. on June 17, ConnectKC26 has a total of 86,540 registered passes.
Breakdown of routes from KC2026:
- Stadium Direct: 57,302
- Regional Direct: 17,284
- Airport Direct: 11,954
As for business traffic, it depends on where you look. Some businesses in the Country Club Plaza said they’ve seen an uptick, especially on the first match day.
“We just had a really fun time with all of the fans, and I think we did a good job preparing for it,” said KC Style Haus Owner, Deserae Minor.
But many businesses are sharing their disappointment online.
‘Ghost town’
Caitlin Benedict, who owns Bisou, a European-style coffee and pastry shop, took to Instagram after shopping at a Crossroads night market.
“We are all in this together, it sucks. It was dead. It’s been dead everywhere,” said Bisou Owner, Caitlin Benedict.
After sharing her disappointment online, she saw an uptick in business on Thursday.
“It’s nice when the community can help out, and you can back up your own hometown at the same time,” said Janet Garciga, who drove in from Lee’s Summit to visit Bisou.
“I don’t want them to just come to Bisou, and I don’t want it to just be for a day. I want them to go everywhere else, and I want them to support everyone else, and consistently, especially for the next month and a half while FIFA is here,” said Benedict.
She heard from businesses experiencing the same issues in Mission, other spots downtown, Kansas City, Kansas, and Overland Park.
Down the road in the Crossroads, Buffalo State Pizza saw fans for the French match on Tuesday.
“But after that, I mean, we even close early on Tuesday because that was, it was dead,” said Buffalo State Pizza Owner, Phillippe Lechevin.
Shopping bags and matchas aren’t filling up at Dear Society either.
“The 10 years that I’ve been here in Kansas City. I have seen a lot of these big events coming into town, and we’ve been told to prepare and get ready for these huge crowds. And to be honest, after the NFL draft and after so many things that I’ve seen in 10 years, I didn’t do anything different,” said Dear Society Owner, Chanel Jezek. “I kind of knew. I had a feeling like we weren’t going to be as busy as they were projecting because they’ve done this to us before.”
Multiple factors = slow traffic
All three, Bisou, Buffalo State Pizza, and Dear Society, said there isn’t really someone to blame, but rather multiple factors that could be part of the issues.
A lot of eateries in town added a 20% automatic gratuity to bills, Bisou and Buffalo State Pizza decided not to take part, but worry that it is keeping locals away.
Visit KC projected 650,000 visitors throughout the entire tournament, and these businesses wonder if the possibility of large crowds and no parking is also keeping residents at home.
“I think we lost a lot of the regular ones. You know, the number was shown earlier back in February, you know, the 600,000 people. People who have the option to work from home, but maybe they didn’t want to deal with the traffic, since there’s no traffic. So hopefully they’re going to come back,” said Lechevin. “People may realize, actually, you know, it’s not as crazy as it is. I can still park in my regular spot and have lunch at my regular spot without being, you know, charged an extra amount.”
Jezek said she’d love to see KC2026 and FIFA add more locally owned businesses on their website so fans know where to find them.
“We are not seeing an increase in traffic on the streets. We are not crowded like they were predicting. You can still come in. You can still support your local businesses, your favorite coffee shops, your favorite places to grab your gifts, or whatever. We’re here. We’re slow. And there are more places to park,” said Jezek.
Benedict said it is an honor to have the World Cup here, but wants to see more honesty and support from leaders.
“I feel like it’s good for our city. It’s recognition. But at the same time, I want leadership to step in and say, okay, we didn’t get as many travelers as we should have,” said Benedict.
These businesses are hopeful that fans, locals, and other owners all come out and support these small shops throughout the metro during the World Cup and beyond.
“I would say just keep coming and supporting us and showing up,” said Jezek.
KCTV5 reached out to Visit KC, but did not have any numbers it could share at this time.
Mayor Quinton Lucas’ office shared the statement below after this story aired on Thursday:
“While the economic impact of a global event of this magnitude will naturally vary by business and by neighborhood, Mayor Lucas is encouraged by what he is hearing from Kansas City’s entertainment and hospitality sectors. Hotels, bars, and restaurants reported strong activity as Kansas City welcomed tens of thousands of guests for the opening match. As we look toward this weekend’s games and the remainder of the tournament, we’ll continue to highlight opportunities for our visitors and residents alike to join in the fun and celebration of this one in a generation moment.”
Businesses are hopeful that the longer the World Cup goes on, the more people will show up. KCTV5 plans to check in with these businesses throughout the tournament to see if traffic picks up.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
Cooler temperatures today, but we will keep a chance of thunderstorms going in south-central Kansas this morning. One or two could be strong.
Temperatures stay cooler in southern Kansas thanks to clouds and rain in the area. Warmer temps and sunshine to the north.
Another chance of severe weather will visit Kansas this weekend, with a complex of strong storms rolling across the area Saturday night.
KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Meteorologist Jack Maney:
Wichita:
Today: Mostly cloudy. 60% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 80 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers. Lo: 62 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 68 Wind: SE 5-15
Wichita Weekly
Sat: Hi: 87 Lo: 73 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 92 Lo: 67 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 65 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 68 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 69 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
SOUTHWEST: Dodge City, Garden City, Liberal, Greensburg, Guymon
Southwest:
Today: Partly to mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 84 Wind: NE/E 10-25
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. Lo: 58 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 62 Wind: SE 5-15
Southwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 92 Lo: 66 Mostly cloudy. 40% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 91 Lo: 59 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 83 Lo: 60 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 61 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 89 Lo: 62 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHWEST: Colby, Goodland, Hill City, Oberlin, McCook
Northwest:
Today: Partly cloudy to mostly sunny. Hi: 86 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tonight: Mostly clear to partly cloudy. Lo: 61 Wind: E/S 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: S/SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 61 Wind: SE 5-15
Northwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 90 Lo: 61 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 84 Lo: 55 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 78 Lo: 56 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 59 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 87 Lo: 60 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHCENTRAL: Salina, Great Bend, Hays, Russell, Beloit, Osborne
North Central:
Today: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 83 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lo: 60 Wind: NE/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 66 Wind: SE 5-15
North Central Weekly
Sat: Hi: 88 Lo: 70 Partly to mostly cloudy. 70% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 88 Lo: 63 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 81 Lo: 62 Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 64 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 67 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Kansas fire department is asking people to be more careful about what they throw away.
The Mulvane Fire Department was called to a vehicle fire Wednesday afternoon. The driver of a trash truck had smelled something burning and pulled over to call 911.
When firefighters arrived, they found smoke coming from the back of the truck. In the trash bay, a firefighter discovered a discarded laptop computer with a lithium battery that was heating up.
The department said it was able to remove the battery from the truck and flood the truck with water to cool off the trash. This is the second incident involving a lithium battery crews have responded to this month, according to Mulvane Fire.
Lithium is highly reactive, and when batteries are damaged, they can heat up uncontrollably. The reaction cascades, with the battery getting hotter and hotter until all of the lithium is consumed. In some cases, when exposed to oxygen, lithium can ignite instantly.
The fire department is urging residents to never throw computers or anything with batteries in the trash. Sedgwick County offers this free recycling guide with information on how to properly dispose of a wide variety of household goods and chemicals.
For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here.
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