How landmark eatery Jack's Firehouse bounced back from a burning problem

When the Philadelphia health department asked Jack's Firehouse to close for several days in 2014 because of a mouse infestation, owner Mick Houston feared it would be "a terminal diagnosis" for the landmark eatery.

But two years and thousands of dollars spent on improvements later, the restaurant is thriving. And, Houston and inspectors say, there's not a mouse in the house.

Jack's Firehouse pioneered fine dining in the city's Fairmount neighborhood when Jack McDavid opened it in 1989 directly across the street from the derelict Eastern State Penitentiary.

Mice had long been a problem at the prison. When the rodents discovered Jack's, it was hard to keep them away. A series of health inspections over four years repeatedly found droppings throughout the restaurant.

In mid-2014, the health department ordered Jack's to shut down until it met two conditions: "zero mouse droppings" and having a food safety certified employee on the premises at all times. Four days later it was cleared to reopen. The Inquirer wrote about the restaurant's woes in January 2015, beginning its Clean Plates series that has since highlighted food-safety issues at eateries and retailers.

Inspectors visited Jack's four times after its temporary closing. The last two examinations found no traces of mice or any serious foodborne illness risk factors. We sat down with Houston to talk about how the restaurant got rid of the rodents and recovered from the blow to its image.

When the health department asked you to close for four days, how did you react?

I was shocked and extremely upset. I felt like this could be a terminal diagnosis for our business. At first, I thought it was a little unfair that the health department didn't realize the obstacles we needed to overcome with a historic ruin across the street. The penitentiary had limited extermination. Our building is 120 years old. But it doesn't matter what the situation is, or what the environment is, if you want to have a restaurant in the city you have to abide by the health department's standards.

You've had several excellent inspections since then. What lengths did you take to win approval from the health department to reopen and remain successful?

Since it was an issue of life or death for the restaurant we spent a lot of time, a lot of money, and there was a concerted effort by all the staff. Before, we had one person that would do general cleaning. We hired two more. We spent $10,000 just on the facility. We made sure all the cracks, crevices and holes were sealed around the foundation, put new weather stripping on the doors and bought new refrigeration equipment for the food. We also went from having three people who were ServSafe certified to eight people.

Did the health department help you out at all?

The supervising sanitarian was not only strict and knowledgeable, but completely eye-opening and fair. However, he did not offer remedies. It's not his job to tell you how to fix things. His job was to come in here and catch the things I wasn't catching. There's no doubt that it has all made Jack's Firehouse a better place.

What advice do you have for other restaurant owners who face an order to stop serving?

There are two necessary ingredients in any good dish. One is the freshest and best product you can buy and the other is the cleanliness you maintain. If the restaurant has issues, it's not anybody else's fault. It lies with the restaurateur. Once you fix the problems the restaurant will be better. And the people who come in, whether they feel or see a difference, at least you'll know you're giving the best you can give.

For past Clean Plates articles, and to search our database, go to www.philly.com/cleanplates.

samwood@phillynews.com

215-854-2796

@samwoodiii