This guide will serve as a quick overview to help the new restaurant, bar, food service, cafeteria manager & owner understand health code and/ or inspections.  Becoming a restaurant owner or  manager comes with responsibilities far ranging from make a profit to as mundane and yet equally important as serving fresh food in a clean environment to ensure health and safety of clients and employees.  Local, state and federal health codes, inspections and guidelines exist to protect the community as a whole and set a baseline standard in the food service industry.

As soon as you begin planning your dream you need to explore and familiarize yourself with city and state public health codes.  These should dictate many of your purchasing decisions.

• There are a variety of resources available ranging from the internet to local food service management classes/ courses.
• Before you sign a lease or purchase a property you should be familiar with code- this can help you avoid expensive retrofit and renovations later on.  (On this note, management companies of new properties are often eager to “build out” for new clientele and are excellent resources to help you stretch your dollar & also avoid the shadow of failed businesses that may beseige an existing location).

• You will need to have licenses and inspections prior to opening or serving any meals.  These inspections range from health department, to fire inspections to your insurance company underwriters.

This guide is in progress… look for more to come in the future…