Manhattan, NY — Zara Pizza, located at 84 Hester Street in the Chinatown neighborhood of Manhattan, was closed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) following an inspection conducted on April 20, 2026. Inspectors recorded a score of 55 points, placing the establishment firmly in C-grade territory and triggering an immediate closure order. Violations were cited across food protection certification, pest harborage conditions, and pest management record-keeping.
The inspection data was publicly released by DOHMH on April 23, 2026.
What Inspectors Found
Inspectors documented three violations during the April 20 visit — one critical and two non-critical.
The critical violation, cited under Code 04A, found that no manager or supervisor on the premises held a valid Food Protection Certificate (FPC). Under NYC Health Code Article 81, food service establishments are required to have at least one certified food protection manager present during all hours of operation. The FPC is obtained through a DOHMH-approved food safety training course and is designed to ensure that at least one staff member in a supervisory role has demonstrated knowledge of safe food handling practices.
The two non-critical violations related to pest conditions on the premises. Code 08A noted that the establishment was not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects, or other pests. This type of violation is recorded when inspectors identify structural gaps, improper food or waste storage, clutter, or other environmental factors that could attract or shelter pests — even if no live pests are directly observed at the time of inspection.
The second non-critical violation, cited under Code 28-06, found that Zara Pizza did not have a contract in place with a licensed pest management professional, and that no records of extermination activities were being kept on the premises. NYC regulations require food service establishments to maintain ongoing pest management programs and to retain documentation of those activities for inspection.
Establishments are notified that violations requiring immediate action must be addressed before reopening. DOHMH does not publicly specify which violations triggered the closure order, but critical violations and conditions related to imminent public health hazards are common grounds for closure.
Food Safety Context
The violations identified at Zara Pizza touch on two foundational pillars of food safety regulation: trained oversight and pest prevention.
NYC Health Code Article 81 governs food service establishments operating within New York City and sets requirements for food handling, facility maintenance, employee hygiene, and management certification. The Food Protection Certificate requirement exists to ensure that someone with formal food safety training is present to make operational decisions and to identify and correct unsafe conditions before they pose a risk to customers.
The FDA Food Code, which forms the basis for many state and local food safety regulations, classifies the absence of a certified food manager as a priority foundation violation — one that, while not immediately linked to foodborne illness, undermines the overall food safety system of an establishment.
Pest-related violations carry significant weight in NYC's inspection scoring system. The presence of harborage conditions — or the lack of a documented pest management program — can contribute substantially to a restaurant's total point score. Beyond scoring implications, these conditions are associated with contamination risks including the spread of bacteria, pathogens, and allergens through direct pest contact with food or food-contact surfaces.
Inspection History
No prior inspection history for Zara Pizza at 84 Hester Street is currently available in the DOHMH public database. This may indicate that the establishment is newly licensed, recently opened, or that prior records have not yet been published. The April 20, 2026 inspection represents the earliest available record for this location.
- April 20, 2026: Score 55 (C-grade), closed by DOHMH — 1 critical violation, 2 non-critical violations
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's letter grading system for restaurants is based on the point score assigned during an inspection. Lower scores indicate better compliance with health and safety regulations.
- Grade A: Score of 0–13 points
- Grade B: Score of 14–27 points
- Grade C: Score of 28 points or higher
A score of 55 points falls well above the C-grade threshold. Restaurants that receive a score above 13 on an initial inspection are typically re-inspected within a month, at which point they may post a grade based on the re-inspection score or request an administrative hearing. Establishments that are closed must address all violations requiring immediate action and pass a re-inspection before they are permitted to reopen.
Grades must be posted in a location visible from the street or entrance, allowing consumers to review a restaurant's most recent inspection result before dining.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Zara Pizza including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.