City inspectors cite violations at Penn dining locations, uncover dead mouse at 1920 Commons

Four of Penn’s on-campus dining locations have received corrective actions from the Philadelphia Office of Food Protection following health inspections — including one that found a dead mouse in 1920 Commons.

Houston Market, Gourmet Grocer, and Kings Court English College House also received corrective actions following annual inspections conducted during the last two months. The reports also included violations of accumulated dust, improper labeling, and “out of compliance” ratings for delayed hot water generation.

Gourmet Grocer and 1920 Commons were inspected on Jan. 20, Kings Court English College House on Feb. 2, and Houston Market on Feb. 5. 

Commons was reported to have a “dead mouse on a sticky trap in the room used for storing canned food,” which was listed as a repeat violation under Category 53 — a failure to keep “Physical facilities installed, maintained, & clean.”

In response to a request for comment, a University spokesperson referred The Daily Pennsylvanian to Penn Dining. A request for comment was left with Penn Dining.

At Commons, a corrective action was also listed under the category of “Adequate ventilation & lighting; designated areas used.” Inspectors noted accumulation of static dust and grease on hood filters.

Commons was previously inspected on Oct. 14, 2025, and received a re-inspection last month.

Houston received the highest number of violations, with 10 listed under “observations and corrective actions.” Violations included sauces and cooked eggs stored at improper temperatures, an uncovered container of cooked pork, and the absence of a temperature-measuring device in a refrigerator at Penn Pi.

According to the report, the white eggs — prepared the previous day — were discarded during the inspection. The uncovered pork and improperly stored sauces were corrected on-site.

Inspectors also cited an under-counter refrigerator that was operating out of the proper temperature range.

Kings Court English College House also received a violation for static dust accumulation. Inspectors found dust on ceiling tiles near the ventilation system and noted that multiple light bulbs were not functioning during the inspection.

At Gourmet Grocer, inspectors cited improper food labeling, finding packaged broccoli and baby carrots missing required information such as the product name, net weight, and distributor. The violation was listed as a repeat offense.

In 2023, The Daily Pennsylvanian reported that Penn Dining locations received a total of 100 health code observations across inspections that year. Among residential dining halls, Hill House and Commons recorded the highest number of violations, and most dining locations were cited for at least five violations.

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