katz deli

Last week’s decision by the New York City Board of Health to give restaurants sanitation grades and require them to publicly display their “report cards” garnered mixed reactions from operators.

“Like everything else, it’s change and it’s something you worry about,” says Mike Savini, director of operations for Hale and Hearty Soups, which has more than 20 locations in the city. “But as much as I hate to admit it, I can’t say it’s a bad thing.”

Savini’s wary trust of city restaurant policy comes after decisions to implement smoking bans and require some chains to post calorie counts have not come back to bite Big Apple eateries.

“Honestly, from an operator’s standpoint, the grading system is probably a good thing,” he says. “It will probably force some subpar operators to step up their game.”

Inspection reports today are pass/fail and posted on the health department’s Web site. Under the new system, which is set to take effect in July, restaurants can receive an A, B, or C based on the number of demerits they receive during a sanitation inspection, and they are required to display their grades near their front doors.

Restaurants receiving a B or C do not have to post their grades for 30 days, following a second inspection. A-graded restaurants can display their mark immediately and are subject to less-frequent follow-up inspections than their lower-scoring peers.

Alan Dell, owner of Katz Deli, calls the grading measure a “super important” step in boosting customer peace of mind.

“I’m happy about it,” Dell says. “Now you’ll feel comfortable and safe when you go out to eat.”

But not everyone shares Dell’s enthusiasm.

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