Personal Injury Law

Disclosing inspection results online is great, but only if the websites are up-to-date

By Dr. Doug Powell

Two Chicago restaurants have been closed this week for public health violations, reports the Chicago Tribune; but you wouldn't know it from the inspection disclosure website.

From the story,

The Chicago Department of Public Health said two Northwest Side restaurants remained closed Wednesday after being shut due to alleged health code violations. Both restaurants were closed Tuesday, and one failed a re-inspection on Wednesday, according to a news release from the CDPH.

A Burger King at 6400 W. Irving Park Rd. was shut down when CDPH inspectors found no hot water on premises, mold in an automatic ice maker, front and rear doors with gaps that could allow access to rodents and insects, and a poorly maintained outside garbage bin with trash overflowin..[On re-inspection] inspectors still found mold in the ice machine and a gap in the front door…

Also closed Tuesday and remaining closed Wednesday was the Seo Hae restaurant at 3534 W. Lawrence Ave…It was closed after inspectors found mouse feces throughout the facility, sewage backing up at two sinks, mold in an automatic ice machine, and no certified food manager on duty….

Both restaurants will have to fix all the health concerns and pass re-inspections before reopening, the CDPH said.

A quick search in the online database reveals inspection results for both the Buger King and Seo Hae, but neither is up-to-date. Making inspection information publicly available is great – consumers want, and businesses can profit from it too – but only if this information is kept current with the most recent inspection results.

And if a restaurant closure isn't scary enough, Burger King has that awful mascot (pictured right).

Full post as published by BarfBlog on June 19, 2009 (boomark / email).