PEABODY — The Board of Health has placed Su Chang’s on probation while holding a temporary suspension of the restaurant’s food permit in abeyance, giving the longtime Lowell Street restaurant an opportunity to correct health and sanitation issues without closing immediately.

The Chinese restaurant may remain open while implementing a corrective action plan. If Su Chang’s completes staff training and passes a follow-up inspection, the suspension will not take effect. If it fails to meet those conditions, though, the suspension could still be imposed.

The vote followed a public hearing prompted by a recent inspection that found repeated food safety violations, including improper food temperatures, sanitation deficiencies, and evidence of rodent activity. Health officials also cited what they described as a “lack of managerial control” after determining similar concerns identified earlier this year had not been adequately addressed.

“What we see here is what we call ‘lack of managerial control,’ right?” Health Department Director Sharon Cameron said. “It’s really the lack of a knowledgeable person in charge on site who’s got control of what’s happening in the kitchen.”

Cameron said the department concluded that the violations posed enough of a risk to public health to warrant disciplinary action.

According to the department, inspectors first responded in December 2025 after receiving a complaint that mice had been seen in the dining room. Following a January administrative hearing, the restaurant agreed to implement new food safety procedures and staff training.

However, a July inspection conducted after a customer received shrimp instead of the chicken they ordered uncovered additional concerns. Inspectors found improperly cooled rice, a refrigeration unit operating at approximately 50 degrees, food left out overnight, sanitation problems, and signs that procedures discussed in January had not been consistently followed.

During the hearing, restaurant co-owner Otto Chang acknowledged the shortcomings and told the board he would become more involved in overseeing kitchen operations.

“I just have to be personally more involved in the kitchen. … I will spend more time in the kitchen and see what’s going on in there and then correct them right away,” Chang said.

Chang said the restaurant has already repaired facility issues, purchased new food storage containers, scheduled mandatory food safety training with an outside consultant, and will now stop taking orders earlier each evening to allow additional time for cleaning before employees leave.

He also said a weekly pest control program has been arranged and once again committed to spend significantly more time supervising employees in the kitchen.

Chairman Tom Durkin noted Su Chang’s had built a strong reputation during its more than three decades in business but questioned why previous corrective measures had failed.

“When I hear again about, ‘Oh, well, this time we’re going to correct it,’ I’m a bit more incredulous than I was the first time,” he said.

Durkin asked Chang what would be different this time, prompting the owner to outline his increased day-to-day involvement and expanded oversight of kitchen staff.

Although board members expressed concern, they also acknowledged the restaurant’s willingness to work with health officials. Cameron said she would be comfortable delaying the suspension if the training occurred as scheduled and Chang remained actively involved in the kitchen operations.

Board member Dr. Julia Fleet said she wanted reassurance that there was no immediate threat to diners before supporting that approach. Chang responded that the pest activity had already declined and that the restaurant had begun implementing corrective measures. Cameron added that inspectors would verify those improvements.

As part of the probation, Su Chang’s must complete employee training, work with an outside food safety consultant, submit regular consultant and pest control reports to the Health Department, and undergo a follow-up inspection. The board directed inspectors to revisit the restaurant this week.

Durkin said the board was willing to give the restaurant another opportunity because of its longstanding history but made it clear that officials would be watching closely.

“I am optimistic that the steps that we’re going to take will right this, but I’m not overly optimistic,” Durkin said.

The board then voted 3-0 to uphold the probation order while holding the suspension in abeyance pending successful staff training and a satisfactory reinspection.