Restaurant Letter Grading: What Does a B Really Mean?

With more than 50% of U.S. food dollars spent on meals prepared outside the home, safety inspections at restaurants have become a core function of public health authorities to prevent the outbreak of foodborne illness. They’re also a topic of great interest to the consuming public.

For these reasons, letter-grading programs are increasingly popular at the state, county, and local level. As a public service, these ratings impose uniform safety standards used to compute letter grades that must be prominently displayed on a restaurant’s storefront. The grades serve multiple purposes:

• Promote greater compliance with food safety regulations
• Improve communication about restaurant food safety practices
• Inform the public about inspection results
• Help consumers make smart choices about the restaurants they dine at
• Reduce illnesses associated with dining out

So what are the consequences for a restaurant that falls from an A to a B rating? It depends, of course, on specific details of each case. But in general, it’s something that every restaurant should avoid.

How the Letter-Grading System Works

All state and local letter-grading systems are based on the FDA Food Code, which identifies 56 different inspection items. Most public health agencies have adopted this code, sometimes adding many more items of their own. About half of the Food Code items are critical violations that significantly increase the risk of foodborne illness—and therefore are given heavier weight in calculating grades.

During an inspection, which must occur at least once a year, points are added up and measured against a letter scale comprised of 3 ranges: A, B, and C. Although each state may adopt its own numerical ranges, in general the letter grades for all health agencies mean the following:

• GRADE A: The restaurant is clean, up to code, and free of violations.
• GRADE B: The restaurant has some issues that must be fixed.
• GRADE C: The restaurant is a public risk and on verge of closure.

Source: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/index.page

These grades are then posted both on the restaurant store front and on a pubic online database.

The Fall from A to B: What Does It Mean?

Although the public may think otherwise, restaurants with a B rating is still safe to patronize. The three most prevalent types of violation leading to a B grade are (in order):

• Vermin infestation (rats, mice, insects)
• Temperature-related offenses (often during holding or prepping)
• Unsanitary handling (especially inadequate hand washing)

Dining Grades, a blog devoted to food safety in restaurants, notes that many restaurants that receive a B grade are often one of two types:

• The Outlier: A restaurant that usually scores an A grade, but suffers a couple of serious violations so heavily weighted that they are demoted to a B. Often the violations are associated with a new employee who was poorly trained or supervised, and can be easily rectified.
• The Maverick: A restaurant that continually scores a B grade because the owner does not wish to spend the extra time or money it takes to maintain an A grade. Some managers may not think it’s necessary, as their restaurants have loyal, regular customers. These restaurants are usually local, neighborhood joints.

National chains, of course, can’t afford to be a maverick in any case. Their outlier violations should be prevented in every way possible by following a strict HACCP plan along the entire cold chain and ensuring proper employee education. Otherwise, the most common potential adverse consequences of a B grade are:

• Negative coverage by local and national press
• Damage to the restaurant’s reputation
• A noticeable drop in foot traffic, sales and profits

On the bright side, while unfortunate, an occasional B rating can keep management on their toes to hold their operations to a higher standard.

Sanitary Inspection Grades: It’s a Good Thing

In general, the letter-grading system is viewed by most people – regulators, owners, managers, and customers – as a good thing. A 2015 study in the American Journal of Public Health evaluated the impact of the letter-grading system in New York City. The researchers found that it had a “positive impact on restaurant hygiene, food-safety practices, and public awareness,” Not only did the system improve inspections in the first year it was implemented, but it also provided an effective incentive for owners and managers to improve operational practices overall. The study noted that letter-grading systems in Toronto and Los Angeles reported similar findings.

 Source: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/about/press/pr2017/pr031-17.page

In New York City, the implementation of restaurant letter grading has seen a dramatic increase in cleanliness for many restaurants.

Finally, according to a 2012 survey conducted by Baruch College at the City University of New York, 91% of New Yorkers approved of restaurant grading, 81% used the letter grades in making their dining decisions, and 76% felt more confident eating in an “A” grade restaurant.

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