It’s probably not something people often think about, but even airport lounges can be shut down by local health authorities. Here’s the latest example of that…
United Club PHL forced to cease operations temporarily
OMAAT reader Alex was passing through Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) this afternoon, and while on the people mover, he noticed that the United Club was dark. He then also noticed a bright yellow and white sign from the Department of Health.
The sign directed the location to cease operations, for being in violation of the local codes. Interestingly, the closure is as of today, September 29, 2025, so this is a brand new closure.
This happens more often than you might assume. Some people might not be shocked to hear that airport lounges sometimes don’t use the highest standards in maintaining cleanliness, etc., and yes, there’s actually enforcement for that.
Why was the United Club Philadelphia shut down?
The United Club Philadelphia inspection took place today, between 10:40AM and 1:30PM local time. You can find the full food facility inspection report here. So, in what areas was the lounge not compliant with local codes? Truth be told, I’ve seen much worse reports, so here’s a summary of the areas in which the lounge wasn’t compliant:
1 No person shall operate a food establishment that handles, prepares or serves non-prepackaged potentially hazardous food who does not have present and in the employ of the food establishment at all hours of operation at least one (1) person with a valid Food Establishment Personnel Food Safety Certificate issued by the Department. The person in charge has a class certificate but no Philadelphia Health Department issued Food Manager Food Safety Certificate. The application will be emailed with this report.
8 Soap and a handwash reminder sign was not available at the handwash sink in the food prep area. These items were provided during the inspection.
8 Hot water (at or above 100 degrees F) was not readily available at the handwash sink in the food prep area. The water was probed at 74.8 degrees F maximum. The person in charge turned on the hot water at the pipe below the hand sink during the inspection.
14 The sanitizer and dish detergent dispensers at the prep area 3 bay sink are not working. The person in charge manually added the required solutions. Staff are presently using the warewash machine.
36 -Visible physical evidence of insect (fly infestation) activity observed in the men’s toilet room area. -Visible physical evidence of insect (flies) activity observed in the bar area.
39 Sponges observed in the garbage grinder sink being used to clean food contact surfaces.
41 Food dispensing utensil in the corn nuts observed in direct contact with food and not having handle stored above the top of the food.
45 Equipment not in good repair: -The sanitizer and dish detergent dispensers are not working at the 3 bay sink in the food prep area. -Splash guard is not provided between the food prep sink and the handsink. -An under counter refrigerators in the bar area is not maintaining a temperature of 41 degrees F or lower. Do not use any refrigerator to store potentially hazardous foods that can not maintain a temperature of 41 degrees F or lower.
47 Observations: -Flies observed landing on surfaces in the bar area. -Black staining in lower cabinets in the serving area.
48 Hot water was not available at the prep area hand sink. Water at or above 100 degrees F was provided during the inspection.
49 -Observed drainage pipes from coffee dispenser sitting inside the catch basin rather than twice the diameter of the water inlet pipe and/or at least a 1 inch air gap above the catch basin. -The food prep sink pipe is sitting within the catch basin rather than at least twice the diameter of the water inlet line or 1 inch above the catch basin.
51 Small flies observed on sink counter, walls, and ceiling surfaces in the men’s toilet room.
53 Observations: -Food debris on floor perimeters in the food prep area. -Soiled catch basin in the cabinets in the service area. -Damaged and moved ceiling tiles in the rear storage area.
53 Mop observed stored in the bucket rather than hanging on a utility rack.
As you can see, most of the issues involve water temperature, general cleanliness, and how items are stored in the food preparation area.
Bottom line
The United Club Philadelphia is closed temporally, after failing a Department of Health inspection. If there’s any silver lining, at least it wasn’t shut down due to some massive cockroach infestation, or something. This happens more often than you’d think, so it’s always interesting to keep an eye on these Department of Health signs at airports. I’ll avoid jokes about Philadelphia Airport’s reputation of being “Filthadelphia.”
