This month, two of Penn’s dining facilities received corrective actions from the Philadelphia Office of Food Protection.
The Sept. 8 reports — which evaluated Lauder College House and Accenture Café — found a total of 12 violations, including several that were corrected during the inspections. A rodent was also seen in Hill House dining hall on Sept. 20 according to a video reviewed by The Daily Pennsylvanian.
In a statement, Director of Communications & External Relations at Penn Business Services Courtney Dombroski wrote that “any issues identified are addressed promptly and appropriate corrective action is taken.”
“While all reports are taken seriously, individual out-of-compliance items are not unusual in food service inspections and do not necessarily indicate a broader food safety concern,” she added. “Inspections represent a snapshot in time during active operations, and findings can range from relatively routine maintenance or operational issues to more significant concerns.”
Health inspectors found 10 violations at Lauder — including six related to facility cleanliness. The city also found that one dishwasher failed to reach recommended temperatures, so dining staff will be required to use a three-bay sink to sanitize dishes moving forward.
Two corrective actions were also found at Accenture Café. Inspectors were unable to find an accurate thermometer and noted a repeat violation for observed dust on a reach-in refrigerator fan.
The city previously inspected Lauder in April 2025. Inspectors found nine corrective actions at the time, citing potentially hazardous ready-to-eat foods. Accenture Café was last inspected earlier this year when three corrective actions were found.
Hill was most recently examined Hill in March. At the time, they reported that mouse droppings were found in the kitchen, salads were kept at improper temperatures, and static dust had accumulated on the hoods of various stations.
Penn Dining follows the food safety and quality assurance program of Bon Appétit Management Company, its dining services partner.
Dombroski wrote that the dining team “did not receive any reports of rodent sightings in Hill this weekend.”
“Bon Appétit works closely with our pest control partner to conduct daily inspections and proactively mitigate against pest activity in our dining facilities,” she added. “If the presence of pests is identified, we step up treatment while continuing to adhere to our rigorous cleaning and sanitation practices.”
The recent inspections follow a string of violations at other Penn dining facilities in February. At the time, four dining halls received corrective violations — including Houston Market with 10 violations, and 1920 Commons, where inspectors uncovered a dead mouse.
Dining locations are subject to an annual city inspection. Falk at Penn Hillel has yet to receive its 2026 inspection, but received eight violations last September.
Dombroski encouraged students to alert a Penn Dining manager if they have “a question about their meal or their experience.” Managers’ names and headshots can be found at each dining hall entrance, and students can email the team or submit information via text message.
