With a records request serving as the only way to view health inspections conducted in Athens eateries, hungry patrons are often left in the dark about what findings the inspections yield.
Unlike some states, Ohio does not have a visible letter- or number-based grading system posted in restaurants, said Adele Hanson, public health sanitarian for the Athens City-County Health Department.
“Our records are open to the public,” Hanson said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have inspections available online. We’re working toward that goal.”
Several places in Ohio, such as Dayton and Montgomery Counties, have restaurant inspection reports available online.
In Kentucky, a 100-point grading scale is used on the inspection form to grade a restaurant. Pim Montgomery, a health inspector for Louisville, Ky., said a grade of 87 or above is considered passing. Though it varies by area, inspected restaurants in Louisville also receive a letter-based grade.
In Indiana, the grading method varies throughout the state, said Cory Wolford, a Boone County food inspector.
“We just do normal inspections (in Boone County),” Wolford said. “We don’t have a grading system, pass-fail, numerical or anything. Our (inspections) are posted online.”
James Gaskell, health commissioner of the Athens City-County Health Department, said a grading system is decided locally. He added that some states, including West Virginia, post visible inspection notices in restaurants.
“I have been to West Virginia, and what you see posted is that the health department has approved and has given (the restaurant) a license,” Gaskell said, noting that he was visiting Morgantown, W.Va., at the time.
Hanson said that Ohio has not had a visible grading system for at least the past 35 years, if at all.
Sarah Cecil, store manager at Big Mamma’s Burritos, 10 S. Court St., said she thinks a more public method of rating a restaurant’s cleanliness could be helpful.
“If anything, I would think it would improve our customer base, just because most places are in an older building in Athens, so just the older building has made people believe one way or the other (about cleanliness),” Cecil said.
Visible inspection grades would also bring restaurant issues and complaints to the forefront.
Lui Lui Restaurant, 8 Station St., was inspected after the health department received a complaint about the restaurant reusing wooden chopsticks, according to its inspection report.
And according to one inspection report from August 2011, the Burrito Buggy was asked to remove dust and mold on equipment, floors, walls, shelves, the ceiling and light fixtures. Hanson said the inspection was probably performed before the buggy opened at a new location.
With more visible inspection results, patrons would be more aware of violations such as those.
Cecil said she believes her restaurant’s quality would remain high even if it were to receive a letter grade.
“We don’t normally have any problem,” Cecil said. “We had to replace some old microwaves just because it was the wrong kind and we didn’t realize it, but other than that, we don’t typically have any problem with it.”
According to an inspection on Aug. 2, Big Mamma’s received violations of food protection from contamination after receiving, limitation of growth of organisms, and cleaning of equipment and utensils, among others.
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