A Lincoln Park grocery store was closed yesterday by city health officials after an inspection turned up evidence of mice.

Whole Foods Market, at 1000 W. North Ave., will remain closed until the violation has been corrected and the store passes re-inspection, the Chicago Department of Public Health said in a press release.

Health inspectors found mouse feces throughout the building, including more than 100 droppings in a walk-in cooler. They also discovered a dead mouse on a glue board trap.

Whole Foods spokeswoman Kate Klotz said in a written statement that employees are "deep-cleaning the entire store, day and night, until inspection is passed and our own level of satisfaction has been reached."

Store officials hope to have another inspection Friday morning, and reopen Friday afternoon.

"We take this incident seriously and are working closely with the Health Department around the clock to rectify the situation," Klotz said.

Whole Foods faces a $500 fine and an administrative hearing on Aug. 21. Its Lincoln Park has never been closed for a health violation, Klotz says.

The Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods has 270 stores in the United States and United Kingdom, including 15 in the Chicago area. It employs 54,000 people and has been named by Fortune magazine as one of the 100 best companies to work for in each of the last 11 years.

City officials say the Whole Foods closing marks the 109^th time this year that the health department has shut down a food establishment for violations of the Chicago Health Code. Suspected violations can be reported by citizens by dialing 311.