A-B-C Health Dept. Grades Coming To NYC Food Trucks And Carts
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Starting in December, food carts and truck will begin showing the same Department of Health A-B-C "letter grades" currently used in New York City restaurants.
The new letter grading program will apply to all 5,500 food carts and trucks authorized to operate in New York City.
The Health Department will put location-sharing devices on every unit in order to track them for inspection.
Officials said it will take two years for all carts and trucks to be graded, similar to the roll-out for restaurants' grading in 2010.
"I think it's the best news ever," said food truck owner Kostas Plagos. "We work hard at putting out great product, keeping it clean and I feel like it goes unnoticed because there's no letter grade."
Other truck operators shared in supporting the grades.
"It's great thing," said truck owner Josh Gatewood. "We're legit business owners, we should be treated as such."
"Of course it's good for business," said foot cart worker Faiaz Sarkar. "If it's clean customers are going to come, if it's fresh customers going to come."
"Letter grades on food carts and trucks will help New Yorkers see how these businesses fared on their latest inspection, right when they want to place an order," said Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. "Just as diners appreciate letter grading in restaurants, we expect this program to be popular among customers of food carts and trucks."