Wilson asks how DOHMH aligns inspections with real restaurant operations
Council Member Wilson, a former server, describes restaurants using host alarms to stall inspectors and asks how DOHMH collaborates with industry on practical peak-service conditions. Schiff acknowledges some restaurants do this, says inspections are unannounced to see actual practices, and emphasizes ongoing training and education.
Thank you.
Council Member Wilson.
Thank you, Chair.
I was a server for 10 years at two prominent New York City restaurants.
It's a great job and a great industry to work in.
But one of the restaurants I worked at, it's no longer there, but it had a good run.
We had an alarm at the host.
that would get pressed when the health inspector arrived to stall to get them to the kitchen so that the kitchen could get its, you know, make sure it was ready for the inspection.
So my question is, there are ways that restaurants practically run in the middle of food service that, you know, are often not.
The way that the health inspector will see the kitchen.
So how are you collaborating with the industry to ensure that you're scoring and looking for the,
maintaining the safety of the food that also matches with the ways that a restaurant will practically run food service, like during a peak lunch shift or dinner shift?
So we do know that some restaurants will do what you just described.
Our inspection is unannounced in an effort to see the actual practices of the restaurant, but some restaurants do as you say.
But it's part of why we continue to do training.
We know that restaurants want to keep their customers healthy and safe.
And so there are a lot of things that we do to continue to educate restaurants so that they will know what is required to keep their customers safe.