What to Do if Your Restaurant Fails a Health Inspection (or Comes Close to Failing)

As a restaurant owner or manager, you understand the importance of maintaining a clean environment for your customers – without pests. 

This means a failed health inspection can have severe consequences for your business. It could lead to temporary closure and fines, as well as damage your reputation and drive customers away. If your restaurant doesn’t do well with a health inspection, it’s crucial to take immediate action to address the issues and get back on track. 

Here’s what you need to know about dealing with a bad health inspection and how our restaurant-tailored pest control services can help you protect your business.

6 Common Reasons for Poor Health Inspections

Health inspections are conducted regularly by local and state health departments so that restaurants maintain a safe and hygienic environment. Some of the most common reasons for failing a health inspection include:

1. Inadequate employee hygiene practices, such as improper handwashing.
2. Incorrect food storage temperatures, leading to the growth of harmful bacteria.
3. Unsafe food preparation techniques, including cross-contamination and improper defrosting.
4. Unclean, malfunctioning, or hazardous equipment and utensils.
5. Poor waste management and disposal practices.
6. Signs of pest infestations or unsanitary conditions that attract pests.

Even if you haven’t yet experienced a pest infestation, a failed health inspection indicates that your restaurant is at risk. These issues pose health risks to your customers and create an environment that attracts pests like cockroaches, rodents, ants, and flies.

How to Bounce Back from a Bad Restaurant Health Inspection

Failing a health inspection can be a devastating blow to your restaurant. Not only will you be forced to close your doors for a set period, but you’ll also have to display the failure notice prominently in your window. To make matters worse, the results will be posted online for all to see. This double whammy of lost revenue and a tarnished reputation can be tough to recover from.

Now is the time to roll up your sleeves and focus on improving your daily operations to address the issues uncovered during the inspection. During this time, you’ll need to conduct a thorough, top-to-bottom cleaning, provide comprehensive training to your staff on hygiene and cleaning protocols, and implement an action plan.

Your action plan should include the following steps:

• Staff Training: Make sure every employee understands that maintaining high standards of hygiene and cleanliness is a non-negotiable part of their job. Provide hands-on training and clear guidelines.
• Food Storage Overhaul: Assess your current food storage practices and make necessary improvements. Replace any damaged or unsuitable containers with high-quality, food-grade options.
• Food Prep Guidelines: Develop detailed, step-by-step guidelines for food preparation and make sure all staff members are fully trained on these procedures.
• Equipment Maintenance: Repair or replace any malfunctioning equipment and appliances. Don’t forget to deep clean under and behind each piece of equipment.
• Master Cleaning Schedule: Create a comprehensive cleaning schedule that includes both routine and deep cleaning tasks. Assign responsibilities and make sure everyone adheres to the schedule.
• Pest Control Inspection: Bring in a professional pest control company to conduct a thorough inspection of your premises. They’ll identify any signs of pest activity and potential risk factors.

A knowledgeable pest control expert, like McCloud Services, can be an invaluable ally in your efforts to bounce back from a failed health inspection. 

We’ll conduct a meticulous inspection, identifying any existing infestations and practices that may be attracting pests. Based on their findings, one of our technicians will recommend necessary treatments, suggest repairs and modifications, and help you develop a robust plan to keep pests at bay moving forward.

Your Restaurant Pest Exterminators

Don’t let pests jeopardize your restaurant’s reputation and profitability. Contact us today for a free service estimate. Our expert team is ready to help you get back on track and protect your business from the threat of pests.