Bill Would Force Restaurants To Display Health Inspection Grades
BY BUDDY NEVINS
The effort to give a cleanliness grade to eating establishments won’t be on the Legislature’s menu if the state’s restaurant industry has anything to say about it.
For years restaurants have blocked attempts to strengthen the health inspections. That’s why Florida has never required inspectors to give a letter grade to restaurants and have those grades publicly displayed, like so many other states.
State Rep. Katie Edwards, D-Plantation, and state Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, are trying again.
The two have filed bills (SB 1080 and HB 1303) that would require food service establishments to be graded “A” “B” “C” and “U” by inspectors based on a rating of conditions in the dining and preparation areas.
The grades would have to be displayed in the front window, within five feet of the front door in a display case, on the drive-through menu or on the menu of a deli over the deli counter.
One key to the bill: The current restaurant inspections would be transferred from the Division of Hotels and Restaurants to the Department of Health.
Edwards specifically credited her bill to WPLG-Channel 10’s reporter Jeff Weinsier’s report called called “Dirty Dining” which featured dramatic video of filthy restaurants. But such reports about slimy restaurants is an old television standard. Miami reporter Bob Mayer had a regular featured called “Not On The Menu” in the 1970s.
Thousands of feet of video and we still don’t have publicly displayed grades.
Legislators have been protecting dirty restaurants for generations. Will this year be different?
Stay tuned.
March 5th, 2014 at 11:57 am
I support this Bill, health conditions are too often overlooked by many eating establishments. The public has a right to know, and establishments have a duty to meet these guidelines.
Interestingly, one of New York’s finest restaurants Per Se, recently received a poor grade from an inspection.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/04/us/new-york-restaurant-health-inspection/
March 5th, 2014 at 7:59 pm
I think this is a great idea. To many pigs out there, motivated by money and greed w/ these dirty establishments. Next go after these “slumlords”. We tenants pay rent, have leases and yet we are constantly dealing w/ violations that these slum lords could care less, but yet live in fancy homes. Inciedently, I missed my “citizens Presenation” last night because on my way down there I was traveling on 13th st and did not see the golf cart transporting these gay guys to/from Wilton Dr. Oh yeah I was going about forty(40) and I didn’t see the golf cart which had about 6 guys in it. So instead of ramming into them and killing them, I swerved and hit the curb and blew my passenger side front tire out. I put the doughnut on(yes, I can change a tire(there is nothing I can’t do) and went over to pet boys and bought a new tire. After that I said screw it and went home. This was the first time I missed one of those. For the record I have done countless of them. I just did not want the comm. to think I blew them off(sorry). Then the gay guys w/ there hee, hee, ha, ha. No lights on the golf cart etc. They should not be driving those carts(that is exactly what they are). So hate to burst your bubble Att.Aurleious(your client was hit up w/ several infractions in my unit today by the bldg. inspector-guess what you are not getting in, until you take care of the a/c and roaches(you pig). I don’t care if the Magistrate finds your client a Grand a day-you ain’t getting in Santa-. Again slumlord makes all kinds of changes, no permit, knocks down walls etc, to subdivided w/out permit. To next unit over dogs left unattended. Dog shit piles all over the place(they wonder why I have roaches). I was scared to do my presentation(joke). I’ll piss on your grave…..
March 5th, 2014 at 9:45 pm
Just more regulations. Just larger government. Just more control over people.
All this information on restaurant inspections is public record. Anybody can look it up. Katie and Eleanor just want to look like heroes. Instead of more roadblocks and hindrances, how about reducing regulations and streamlining red tape? Don’t make more unnecessary work for everybody so you can feel good about yourself.
If you can’t help, at least get out of the way!
March 6th, 2014 at 7:23 am
Buddy,
I don’t see anything wrong with it. If you feed people for a living you have to maintain a clean and healthy business. That’s a minimum expectation.
Angelo
March 6th, 2014 at 9:26 am
Interesting fact In Cities where posting inspections is required Those restaurants with a high grade have seen business go up NOT down
March 6th, 2014 at 9:30 am
Walsh;
Did you really use the “F” word? Nice job ace! Next time, toss in a few n-bombs.
Oh, and by the way, changing a tire ain’t all that difficult. If you consider that macho, you should go get a job in a hair salon.
Oh wait…
FROM BUDDY:
He used the word. I took it out.
March 6th, 2014 at 9:45 am
Interesting to say the least. This is a piece of a “feel good law” that is not needed. the records are already in the public domain. Basically you have just increased the corruption of the inspection service. The difference between an “A” or a “B” would be in the eye of the beholder (Inspector), and if they are having a bad day guess which way the score will go. Meanwhile the operator will suffer with needless re-inspections and loss of business over time. All Inspections are subjective no matter what the State may tell you. I have been in the business and watched this numerous times occur. Then you get to the independent operators who leave an envelope of the table, happens all the time, or the Inspector comes back next week with a large family and guess who picks up that tab.
A suggestion to the State legislators would be to consider a “S” or “U” grade that would remove the bias that can occur frequently. I can recall a fellow operator where a housefly came in the front door with customers and the inspector reported it as Vermin, a housefly, that is how ridiculous this can get. Are their restaurants that fail a lot of course there are. And there are establishments that are spotless and all procedures are followed but the inspector (who is now GOD)has an attitude and dislikes the manager, you know where that score is going. More regulation is not the answer. The State is trying to fix a system that is NOT broke. The State needs to think this through it is going to cost a lot. Most people in the industry will not have a problem with the S or U posting but the A-B-C-U speculation score is just that.
March 6th, 2014 at 10:37 am
We need a bill that forces S.Fla politicians, lobbyist, lawyers, etc to display their “grade”
A- A**Hole
B- Blackmailer
C- Crooked
D- Dummy
F- Fascist
March 6th, 2014 at 10:43 am
Good idea — every restaurant in NYC has to post its letter grade in the front window. I don’t see that it has hurt the Big Apple’s culinary scene.
March 6th, 2014 at 12:49 pm
Cannot wait for the first lawsuit from a restaurant patron who gets hospitalized for food poisoning and relied on the restaurant’s posted grades on the door issued by the State.
Wonder if the attorney will include the State in the suit?
FROM BUDDY:
The state is largely protected from law suits because of sovereign immunity.
March 7th, 2014 at 7:51 pm
Listen to you Chaaaz/Buddy. For the record I have many gay friends. I also have many black friends. I have never used the “N’ word and occassionly I use the “f”word. Who cares. A straight guy could be called “F’ word. I could have killed all of them. My God could you see the headlines, bisexual activist kills flaming gay guys. No breath test for Robert here, Chief adderley would state oh no do the blood work on him. Go ahead no drugs at all. Although I did smoke some Hydro weed on Christmas Day. Other than that I’m as clean as a whistle(in more was than one). Oh, I need a vacation…….
March 8th, 2014 at 12:40 pm
I always chuckle when I hear that lame excuse, “I’m allowed to say homophobic remarks, because I have a gay friend.”
No Robert Walsh, you are not.
Like that narrow-minded asshole from Duck Dynasty, Walsh is too stupid to realize times have changed. This isn’t the 70s dipshit.
The Shitty Activist is clearly on the wrong side of history, in the sense of where American opinion is going.
March 9th, 2014 at 9:53 am
Oh please you should have ended your blog comment Chaz Stevens w/ from the Heathen. Now I’m homophobic. That is a joke. Wrong side of history huh, stated the drunk. To bad my father is not alive then you both could take pills, get drunk, and then get stupid. Yup day, after day, after day. Then getting smart w/ the mob boss(oh I didn’t care you should have seen me @ 18, 19, 20 yrs old-I was fierce-biggest mobster that Bernie had to screw his stipper mistress-I didn’t care I told the mobster right to his face-Bubba I’l chop your grandson’ ears off, and send them to you in one of these fake Gucci handbags-there is your cut, authorized by no other than Carlo Gambino-who was giving us the bags-I will always have’trump”..You are a bastard Chaz Stevens. Along w/ being a drunk and bullying some of these elected officals. You have met your match……..
March 9th, 2014 at 4:52 pm
Walsh;
Are you retarded? Or is this just an amazing act of yours?
‘Cause you really seem kinda dense.
March 9th, 2014 at 7:09 pm
Walsh;
I’m not a drunk. I’ve been clean and sober a long time.
Speaking of being hammered, weren’t you arrested for drunk/disorderly AND a DUI?
That’s a Zima two-fer right there.
March 10th, 2014 at 11:14 am
@ #14 & #15
Just as suggestion why don’t you two meet in a bar and hammer out your differences, instead of on this forum.
March 16th, 2014 at 10:03 pm
“Since its introduction three years ago, in response to a number of food-safety scares — including 1,300 salmonella cases reported in 2008 — New York City’s ABC restaurant grading scheme has been welcomed by the public and hailed by Michael Bloomberg for lowering salmonella outbreaks by 14 percent in its first year.” (Atlantic Cities)
One problem is with ethnic restaurants that prepare traditional dishes with ingredients and techniques that are unfamiliar to inspectors. Likewise, there may be language problems if the health code are available only in English and Spanish.