Could your favorite spot to eat be a health hazard? In Alabama, every restaurant is required to display a sheet of paper containing their health rating.
To get the ratings, Tuscaloosa restaurants are subjected to health inspections that can come at any time.
For food business owners, the health rating is a make-or-break scenario. Health inspectors take their job very seriously and take no quarter when it comes to violations. The Alabama Department of Public Health states on its website that it works to incentivize restaurants to abide by codes through negative financial consequences that come from a poor rating. Health inspectors often show up unannounced, and they are specifically taught to look for businesses that are unprepared. One bad day of preparation could end up being the reason a business ends up with an 82 instead of a 92.
Health score ratings are assessed on the standard zero to 100 scale. Restaurants can have points taken off from their health score for incorrect labels on food, not using lids properly and not having enough signs telling employees to wash their hands before returning to work.
But not all violations are created equal. To the ADPH, some violations are considered more serious than others, such as those that deal with food contamination and food preservation.
While some may not be bothered by the health scores of restaurants, other customers consider it to be prime factor into choosing a place to eat. For University of Alabama students, health ratings are especially important when it comes to their most frequented restaurants, such as those on the Strip.
Most places on the Strip have exceptionally high health ratings, such as the 99 rating earned by Firehouse, or the 98 rating earned by Buffalo Phil’s. Others are safely in the mid-90s range, and had a few points deducted for some minor violations. These restaurants are Moe’s Southwest with a score of 95, Chipotle with a 92 and Jimmy John’s with a 96.
Scores may often go overlooked by customers, but to senior education major Jonathan Olliver, the score could be a determining factor in deciding where to eat.
“I may still eat at a restaurant with a low score if I had eaten there before,” Olliver said. “But it would definitely bother me and I would want to know why. I would definitely pay attention once I learned what was wrong.”
The Pita Pit on The Strip has a score of 88, which is low compared to other restaurants in the vicinity. However, this score is also an improvement from previous scores in the lower 80s.
Kara Jones, a junior majoring in accounting, said a lower score of 88 would make her think twice about eating at that restaurant.
“If it had a score below a 90 and I hadn’t eaten there before, it would be enough for me to suggest going someplace else,” Jones said. “It honestly depends what restaurant I am at and if I had eaten there before.”
Most of the points were taken off for reasons one would not think of off the top of their head, such as freezers that do not accurately display the correct temperature.
According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, the best way to avoid low scores is the implementation of daily self-inspections. Critical items are required to be corrected as soon as possible but not to exceed 10 days regardless of the overall score.
