Family Dollar Closed Over Rodent Infestation
Erie County health officials shut the Broad Street store after inspectors found mice, droppings and expired milk.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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The Erie County Department of Health closed the Family Dollar at 2226 Broad St. on Nov. 4, 2026, after an inspection reported mice on glue traps and mouse droppings throughout the store, including on pet food for sale. Family Dollar anticipates reopening as early as Nov. 13, pending a successful reinspection.
Why it matters
The inspection cited a rodent problem that officials say must be brought under control before the store can resume operations, and it also reported expired products on the shelves. The closure shows how quickly a food-adjacent retailer can be shut down when sanitation violations are found.
The Nov. 4 inspection filing recorded 16 bottles of expired milk on the shelves and two noncritical violations tied to ongoing maintenance. It is not yet known whether these findings will be resolved in the scheduled reinspection.
The players
Erie County Department of Health
The county health agency responsible for inspecting food and retail establishments in Erie County and ordering closures when sanitation hazards are found.
Jesse Stiles
Director of environmental health at the Erie County Department of Health, who said the store must control the rodent infestation and complete deep cleaning before passing inspection.
Family Dollar
A national discount retail chain operating the Broad Street location, which is working with local health officials to address the inspection findings.
The details
Officials found mice on glue traps, one of them decomposed, along with droppings throughout the store. Family Dollar has engaged a third-party service provider to thoroughly clean and sanitize the store and remove affected merchandise, and is working with local health officials to address the findings.
Timeline
Nov. 4, 2026: Erie County Department of Health closes the store and files the inspection.
Nov. 9, 2026: Store manager issues a statement on cleanup and reopening.
Nov. 13, 2026: Family Dollar anticipates reopening, pending reinspection.
Openings & Closings
The closure is a routine enforcement action under Erie County's health inspection authority, applied here to a Family Dollar location after rodent and expired-product findings. It follows the standard pattern in which local health departments can close a retail establishment until the sanitation problem is corrected and a reinspection passes.
Shoppers who rely on the Broad Street Family Dollar should expect the store to remain closed until a reinspection is passed, with reopening currently anticipated around Nov. 13. Nearby customers may need to use other stores for household and grocery purchases in the meantime.
The takeaway
Retail sanitation violations can shut a store abruptly, so checking local health inspection records before relying on a location can save shoppers a wasted trip.
What happens next
Family Dollar anticipates reopening as early as Nov. 13, 2026, pending a successful reinspection by the Erie County Department of Health.
Further reading
Find more store openings and closings in Erie shaping the local retail landscape.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Go Erie.
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