Not sure if folks know, but starting in July, the NYC Health Department will require certain types of food service establishments to “prominently post letter grades that correspond to their sanitary inspection scores.”

Here’s some interesting factoids from the Health Dept’s website about the regulations:

Under the proposed rules, which food service establishments would be graded? Under the proposed rules, some food service establishments that require Health Department permits would have to post letter grades reflecting their sanitary inspection scores. These establishments include restaurants, coffee shops, bars, nightclubs, most cafeterias and fixed-site food stands.

Which establishments would not be graded? Letter grades would not be issued to mobile food vending units, temporary food service establishments, food service establishments operated by primary or secondary schools, hospital-operated cafeterias, correctional facilities, charitable organizations (including soup kitchens or other prepared food distribution programs), or food service establishments that not-for-profit membership organizations operate and that serve food only to their members.

How would the grade be determined? The letter grade would be based on an establishment’s score (total points issued for sanitary violations) after certain inspections. A score of 0-13 would trigger a grade of A, 14-27 points a grade of B, and 28 or more points, a grade of C.

Would the inspection process change? No, the proposed grading rule would not change the way the Health Department conducts sanitary inspections. The inspector would still record violations during an inspection. At the end of the inspection, the inspector would still give the operator a printed report listing the cited violations, the points for each violation and the total number of points.

They say that if currently implemented, 30% of the city’s restaurants would qualify for A grades, 40% would get Bs and 26% would get Cs.  Hmm … I wonder why the grades only go up to “C”…  In any event, the way the process is explained is that restaurants that receive an “A” score will be allowed to display their grade immediately.  Those that get a B or C will have a chance to improve before a grade will be posted.  In the meantime, they wi have to post a  notice that their grade is pending.  Hmm … this could cause a bigger shake up than the big drug raid on Nostrand a few weeks back!

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