Some NYC Restaurants Face Fines For Not Posting Health Department Letter Grade
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The New York City Health Department has issued hundreds of violations to restaurants failing to post a letter grade reflecting the result of an inspection.
Health officials announced Tuesday that they'll pay surprise visits so food establishments can't suddenly pull out the signs.
Daniel Kass, the Deputy Commissioner for Environmental Health at the department, told 1010 WINS that only a "small number of restaurants" were in violation.
"We've been looking on every inspection. We have a group of people who are doing random spot checks and we respond to public complaints," Kass said.
The City Is Serious About Those ABC's. WCBS 880's Marla Diamond Reports.
Podcast
More than 800 violations have been issued for not displaying a grade, or putting it in a place where patrons can't spot it easily.
"The public will really come to expect to see it and they'll let restaurants know that it's not acceptable not to post a grade," Kass said.
The grading system was started last July. About three-quarters of the city's more than 24,000 restaurants have been inspected. The rest must post a "Grade Pending" sign.
An A, B or C reflects cleanliness, food safety and other requirements such as number of sinks.
A restaurant may appeal a grade, or be reinspected with improvements. Violations come with fines up to $1,000.
"Restaurants have a choice, they can invest in hygiene in their restaurants or they can invest in paying fines. And we've said from the very beginning that we want them to invest in hygiene," Kass said.
What Do You Think About Some Restaurants Not Posting Their Grades? Share Your Thoughts In The Comments Section...
(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
