Expose Violators to Protect Consumers?
This article is from the Qatar Peninsula but it applies equally in Kuwait, in Seattle, in Pensacola . . . when a restaurant violates a health code, shouldn’t those results be made public? They are serving the public, they take our money, shouldn’t we know the state of hygiene and the safe-practices they observe – or don’t observe?
We still remember a time in Monterey, California when we walked into one of the most popular Chinese restaurants in town and found a table, without having to wait. It was astonishing. There were few customers that night. The next day in the paper we found it had been closed for health-code violations. We took comfort in knowing that when it re-opened, it had to pass a re-check, and it was probably the cleanest it had ever been, or would be for a time to come. π
Restaurateurs want names of eateries violating rules to be made public
Web posted at: 9/27/2009 23:45:38
Source ::: THE PENINSULA
DOHA: The identity of the eateries punished for flouting health and safety rules should be disclosed by the authorities concerned, feel a number of restaurateurs in the city.
Not disclosing the name of an erring eating outlet is unadvisable since it can make all the eateries of a locality suspect in the eyes of patrons, say restaurateurs.
This happens especially as the authorities do mention the area an erring eatery is located in but fight shy of publishing its name in local newspapers.
Al Sharq Arabic newspaper in its weekly online survey took up this issue this time and an overwhelming 94 percent of the respondents said they were in favor of disclosing the identity of an erring eateries.
Only five percent said they did not back the idea, while one percent said they were undecided.
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I don’t know about this. Well actually, I definitely think it’s very ill-guided and unwise and majorly unfair to say the area and unwittingly incriminate the entire restaurant community in that area. They should have said nothing if they weren’t going to say the names. Having said that, I don’t know if you want to punish a business owner FOREVER AND EVER and I feel that if you say the name it’s like telling customers never to come back because they’ll never trust the restaurant. I think to settle this issue there should be a survey done with consumers asking them if they’d be willing to revisit a restaurant after it’s name has been disclosed if it fixes it’s health violation problems. Personally, I’d be very reluctant to go even if they fix their problems.
In my home state they went the other direction. The health inspection report had to be posted in a clearly viewable area near the cash register. The score, on a 100% scale, was written in bold black magic marker on the face of the report. The reason for each finding was written at the bottom of the check list. Some were minor – like plastic lids not sealed in an enclosed bag over night. Some were not so minor.
Any major finding had to be corrected before the inspector left the premises.
All establishments were re-inspected every 30 days.
All scores for the location inspected that week were published in the local newspaper.
One televesion station started a “Golden Spatula” contest tracking the establishments current, previous months,and annual average score.
bj
This is so wrong, but when I got the title on my list of blogs I follow, I thought it read, “Expose Vibrators to Protect Consumers”!!!! Where is my mind today!
1001 – In Qatar, a restaurant has a sign posted on it for thirty days while it is closed for a violation. A friend in the restaurant business told me that the harshest punishments are for the most expensive restaurants, that they are held to a higher standard. Major crime tends to be an expired item, even if it has never been used, but is on the shelf, like almond oil or something else not used so often but you always want a back-up.
I tend to think if a place is serving the public, it’s hygiene practices should be transparent to the public. None of us is perfect; imagine what health inspectors would find in our kitchens! I bet I have an expired item or two up on my baking shelves . . . hmm. . . . need to go check!
BJ – Holy Smokes, what state are you from? Every restaurant is inspected every thirty days, or every violator is re-inspected? That’s an amazing standard. I want to eat in your state. π
LLLOOOLLLL, Desert Girl. That happens to me sometimes, too, misreading something and it becomes much more interesting! Have a great day.
Chinese restaurants are notorious for bad cooking habits and bad hygiene , They always cook in the back of the restaurant .
Japanese restaurant cook in front of the customer , they have nothing to hide .
Arab restaurants are scary
Daggero, you just made my day, LLLLOOOOLLLLL.