For today’s “What We Do”, a series where we touch base with our journalists about the topics they cover and they content they create, we connect with Naples Daily News and The News-Press features editor Dave Osborne. The topic: restaurant inspections.
Question: What makes restaurant inspections newsworthy?
Answer: Just about everyone goes to a restaurant, so knowing about them is important for the community. This includes if restaurants are clean and safe, and our inspections provide that information to readers.
What are the most common violations you see?
It’s a “high-priority” violation if a dishwasher (inspections call them “dishmachines”) is not sanitizing properly, which requires a restaurant to discontinue use of that dish washer.
Another violation is when a restaurant is operating with an expired Florida Division of Hotels and Restaurants license.
What are some of the most shocking or memorable violation you’ve come across?
Anytime you see words like “roaches,” “rodent droppings” and “flying insects,” that’s jarring. Even so, I don’t recall any restaurant or food truck that had an infestation worthy of mention in a Stephen King novel. Obviously, a restaurant, food truck or catering business (yes, they’re inspected too) will renew the license to stay in business and inspectors will follow up to make sure.
Because of your role managing restaurant inspections content, do you look at restaurants differently than you used to?
Yes, it really makes me think more than ever about food safety. Yet in a positive way, inspections in Florida make me feel good because the standards are so high. Inspectors are out there doing great work on behalf of all of us (I’d like to interview one someday!). Thank you.
Do restaurant owners ever push back on your coverage?
Not much at all. One time a Naples restaurant owner emailed me and said they literally had a new refrigerator being delivered after health inspectors were there earlier in the day and cited them. I exchanged a few emails and ended up writing a story clarifying what the owner told me.
What do you want readers to know about publishing restaurant inspections?
We’re not trying to put restaurants out of business. Our inspections do not single out a restaurant, for example, for failing to separate raw animal food from ready-to-eat food, of similar violations. These are violations and the reader can decide if that matters to them enough to avoid a restaurant.
What else should people know?
New restaurants must pass inspection before they open and inspections will show that. And sometimes readers will ask why a restaurant with a violation also had a perfect inspection. That’s usually because the restaurant fixed the issues.
What some may not realize as well is that vending machines, snack bars, and other places are inspected. And if you see a violation, feel free to report it as we list in every inspection story.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Our restaurant inspections focus on food safety for SW Florida
Reporting by Mark H. Bickel and Dave Osborn, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
