City Council to introduce changes to restaurant letter grades
Letter grade Credit: (Getty)
Restaurant owners are about to get a bit of relief, as the City Council is expected to cut fines for health violations that eateries get from letter grade inspections, officials said Monday.
The letter system, introduced in 2010, assign A through F grades for restaurants based on health conditions, and restaurants are fined for certain violations. Under the new system, however, those fines would be reduced across the board.
"We're taking steps to ensure that the restaurant inspection process is fair," said Speaker Christine Quinn.
"These reforms will improve the lives of struggling restaurant owners, the workers they employ and the families they support, while preserving a system that protects the safety of New Yorkers," she said.
Andrew Moesel, spokesman for the New York State Restaurant Association, lauded the changes for creating "fair policies that will regulate the industry while not hurting it."
The new system will also introduce an advisory board, which the restaurant industry will have a hand in, to review the inspection program, as well as loosening regulations relating to the layout and structure of restaurants.
The council is expected to pass the changes this fall.
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep.16: From Island to island, how football helped overcome tragedy Newsday's Gregg Sarra talks to Carey football player James McGrath about how he has persevered after losing his parents at a young age, and to the Lahainaluna (Hawaii) High School football coach about how his team persevered after the Maui wildfires of 2023, plus a behind-the-scenes look at the All-Long Island teams photo shoot.
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep.16: From Island to island, how football helped overcome tragedy Newsday's Gregg Sarra talks to Carey football player James McGrath about how he has persevered after losing his parents at a young age, and to the Lahainaluna (Hawaii) High School football coach about how his team persevered after the Maui wildfires of 2023, plus a behind-the-scenes look at the All-Long Island teams photo shoot.
