City Council looks to fix restaurant grading system

From CBS New York:

Reform is on the menu for the controversial New York City restaurant inspection system.

As CBS 2’s Tony Aiello reported Monday, owners hope they will not be forking over so much dough in fines. They said the current health inspection system leaves them walking on proverbial eggshells.

“It’s absolute panic,” said Leonard de Knegt of Jerry’s Café. “One dead strawberry in a box coming from a vendor — one dead strawberry — can cost you $300.”

Restaurant owners said the city’s beefed up inspections, as they are currently administered, are arbitrarily tough. They said they are fed up with fines.

In the three years since the city cooked up its letter grade system, the amount of fines paid by restaurants has skyrocketed — from about $30 million a year to $50 million.

“Food safety is no longer the focus,” said City Councilman David G. Greenfield (D-44th.) “The focus, really, is about making a quick buck.”

City Councilmembers said the system is choking small business owners, and ripe for reform.