Boston City Council passes ordinance requiring letter-based sanitation grades for restaurants
The Boston City Council on Wednesday OKed a program that rates the sanitation levels of restaurants and food trucks on a letter scale and requires the establishments to clearly display their grades.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh filed an ordinance at the beginning of the month for the program.
“Boston’s restaurants play a strong role in fueling our local economy, and it is our job to ensure these establishments are adhering to all required codes to protect Boston’s residents and visitors,” Walsh said in the August 3 statement. “By creating a grading system, we are providing an extra layer of transparency and accountability for restaurants and consumers.”
Under the new system, biannual sanitation grades given out by the Inspectional Services Department will correspond to a letter grade: “A,” “B,” or “C.”
Restaurants that don’t earn an “A” will be reinspected in 30 days to get a chance to improve.
The results of the inspections must be posted “facing outward at eye-level on an exterior-facing wall or window within five feet of the main entrance,” Councilor Michael Flaherty wrote in a report urging the City Council to pass the ordinance.
Don’t expect inspection letter grades to be popping up around the city just yet. Posting the grade is optional during the first year of the program. After the initial year, it will be mandatory.
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