Rate High In NYC, Pay No Fine

Grades matter. And for New York operators, getting top marks can save money. Restaurant owners whose operations earn an A grade at their first or second inspection under the city’s letter-grading system will no longer pay fines. The change was announced by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in January after months of complaints from restaurant owners about exorbitant fines caused by more frequent inspections.

The city’s grading system, launched last July, gives violation points related to food-safety practices and sanitation; the lower the score, the better the grade. Each point does carry fines, however, so even A-rated operators were paying fines. The city projects that by the end of its fiscal year June 30, it will collect $36.3 million in restaurant fines because of more frequent inspections. That’s up from $32.9 million a year ago, and $27.8 million the previous year.