The DOH is putting into motion a new series of restaurant grading procedures that are aimed to reduce fines by nearly 25 percent. The idea is to catch violations and fix them early on, rather than resorting to punitive tickets. To that end, restaurants will be inspected more often, but the fines have been reduced to what they were before it was required to post letter grades.
Restaurateurs can also elect to have a consultative inspection, a penalty free chance to get some feedback from the Health Department. Established restaurants will have to pay $400 for this service, which includes an analysis of their previous violations in order to address recurring problems. New restaurants will only be charged $100 for the inspection.
· New Restaurant Rules to Lower Fines [WSJ]
· NYC Reforms Restaurant Inspection System Following Restaurateurs' Outcry [Gothamist]