The first letter grade posted on a restaurant window by the New York City Department of Health went up July 28th – an “A” grade for a Deli in Long Island City, Queens. The unveiling marked the beginning of a plan to make consumers aware of how closely restaurants are abiding by health code standards.
The grading system (which has been used in Los Angeles for several years) will evaluate every restaurant in the five boroughs and provide each a letter grade. Restaurants are graded by city officials on the conditions of their kitchens and storage and dining areas, and given a score relating to the number of violations found (the inspections are conducted without warning obviously). Score ranges equate to letter grades (A, B, and C) which must be displayed by restaurants or fines can be imposed. Just like in school, an A is a good grade, and a C means time to hit the books (or grab a broom).
When asked why the new grading system was being put in place, the Health Department stated it was to “…help consumers make informed choices about where to eat out”, and that “consumer awareness creates a powerful new incentive for restaurants to maintain the highest food safety standards”. Seems like a no-brainer to us, providing consumers with unbiased, expert-based ratings on the cleanliness of all restaurants. We’re certainly in favor of having an easy way to determine if a restaurant is playing by the health code rules.
Transparency is what stands out with this new program – the more consumers know about the service levels, quality, cleanliness of potential retailers or restaurants, the better off everyone is. Businesses are rewarded for providing great service (or a clean restaurant), and consumers are more aware of what to expect. The only catch? It’s still buyer beware for street carts, as mobile food vendors won’t be rated this time around.
Read more here about the ratings.
