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Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,143
Registered: ‎08-25-2010

Re: Have you ever reported a restaurant for uncleanliness?

@corita Many years ago, I was watching a talk show where one of the guests was a man who wanted to make consumers more aware of restaurant cleanliness. He said you can’t assume a restaurant’s clean just because the dining area’s clean. The restaurant doesn’t have to let you see the kitchen, but they must provide restrooms. He recommended walking out of a restaurant if the bathroom wasn’t clean. His logic was if they couldn’t be bothered to clean a place they KNEW you’d be going, they certainly weren’t going to worry about the kitchen. I’ve used this as a rule of thumb since then. If I ever came across flagrant violations, I’d report the place to the BOH. This can happen in any level of restaurant - the BOH in our city has closed some very expensive restaurants for reasons that would curl your hair.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,345
Registered: ‎08-20-2012

Re: Have you ever reported a restaurant for uncleanliness?


@Eileen in Virginia wrote:

@corita Many years ago, I was watching a talk show where one of the guests was a man who wanted to make consumers more aware of restaurant cleanliness. He said you can’t assume a restaurant’s clean just because the dining area’s clean. The restaurant doesn’t have to let you see the kitchen, but they must provide restrooms. He recommended walking out of a restaurant if the bathroom wasn’t clean. His logic was if they couldn’t be bothered to clean a place they KNEW you’d be going, they certainly weren’t going to worry about the kitchen. I’ve used this as a rule of thumb since then. If I ever came across flagrant violations, I’d report the place to the BOH. This can happen in any level of restaurant - the BOH in our city has closed some very expensive restaurants for reasons that would curl your hair.

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      I often asked my friend that works with City/County Health to give training to my child care providers.  His dept checks restaurants and child care facilities for the city/county health/sanitation check.   

      He would always share some gross cleanliness stories his staff saw when doing their restaurant visits. Some of the nicer stories were mouse droppings around food; regrigerator foods having mold; sick employees working; dishes not washed in appropriate water temp; food dripping on other food  etc. Makes me not want to eat out. 

     PS  -- I was always glad to hear that our day cares scored very well in his area.


 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 31,905
Registered: ‎05-10-2010

Re: Have you ever reported a restaurant for uncleanliness?

Nothing wrong with KFC although, I do prefer an occasional Popeye's meal.  No, I have not reported a restaurant to the health department.  I have walked into some fast food places and turned around and walked right out because they were like you described.  It's why I never order through the drive up window of a place I am not familiar with.  I like to see where my food was cooked.  Sometimes the managers in those places are 21 or 22 and they don't know how to manage or supervise staff or even schedule staff.  That happened years ago at big Buger King in the town we used to live in.  The town manager spoke with the owner who hired a grown up to manage it and things were resolved.  It's still there.  Sometimes we go there for breakfast.  

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,430
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Have you ever reported a restaurant for uncleanliness?

my take on this is it's the managment of the particular store.  If mgmt. doesn't care about the cleanliness, why would the employees.

another thing to consider is many of these corporate chains, have a "playbooK" for how long a task will take, (alloted hours).

The budget only allows for "x" amount of employee hours per day/week. 

you have to conform to that.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,583
Registered: ‎10-14-2016

Re: Have you ever reported a restaurant for uncleanliness?

I was recently vacationing in Charleston SC and went to a local restaurant.  The silverware and my cup were both dirty.  They imediately brought me clean items.  But, near the end of breakfast I happened to look up.  The air conditioner must have been leaking so they stuffed a towel in the vent.  But, it looked like it had been there for months.Just disgusting.  I couldn't help thinking of all the mold spores.  I wrote a review on TripAdvisor when I got home.  The restaurant replied that they have a A+ rating with the Board of Health.  That got me curious so I read some other reviews.....many others said they were given dirty silverware.  So, I called the Board of Health.  If they get an A+ rating it's because someone is slipping money to someone.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,268
Registered: ‎09-01-2010

Re: Have you ever reported a restaurant for uncleanliness?

Yes, I have reported local restaurants to the health department over several health concerns.   Most recently I reported one local chain restaurant to corporate for an issue management was not taking seriously.

 

Years ago I reported an incident with a hospital food service employee to her manager.   She was wiping off tables when I walked in, but stopped to prepare my food.  She washed her hands, made my sandwich, picked up the knife to cut it in half, saw that it was dirty, and grabbed the cloth I had just witnessed her wiping tables with to wipe the knife!   As soon as she started back to cut my sandwich, I insisted she get a clean knife to cut my sandwich or I wasn’t paying for it.   She literally had no clue that what she was about to do was VERY wrong, so I asked her supervisor to explain it to her.

 

Even if food is cooked safely, in a dirty environment, I assure you that food is contaminated in some way before it is handed to you.   Reporting unsafe practices has to be done for the safety of others.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,602
Registered: ‎03-21-2010

Re: Have you ever reported a restaurant for uncleanliness?

Yes I have,

 

I have also reported some restaurants for not being handicapped accessible. We have a couple of restaurants here in town that you simply cannot get in to if you use a scooter or a wheelchair.

 

As of this writing, they still have not complied.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,491
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Have you ever reported a restaurant for uncleanliness?

I have contacted management through the website in the past for unclean places, they usually want to send me a gift card.  I don't want a gift card.  I want you to clean the place.

 

Whenever I go to a new place, or even when I'm traveling, I go to the bathroom first.  If the bathroom is a mess, I'm out.

===================================
QVC Shopper - 1993

# IAMTEAMWEN
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,258
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Have you ever reported a restaurant for uncleanliness?

Back in the '80s, one of two rustic pizza joints in S.F..  Pizza ordered, complete with a roach enmeshed with toppings.  Need I say more?

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,258
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Have you ever reported a restaurant for uncleanliness?


@phoenixbrd wrote:

I can't get past the main choice of food offered at KFC...that is more offensive to me than the environment could ever could be.  


@phoenixbrd

 

Not only that, but KFC - the entire offerings - are on the "NO GO" top 5 fast food/restaurant list for all migraine sufferers.  There's a lot of garbage in their ingredients.