Restroom Cleanliness as an indicator.

by Greg Harbaugh on 09/18/12

An indicator of what?  How about food quality, kitchen cleanliness, staff hygiene, and most of all Food Safety.

All restaurants have some kind of a Health Department score posted prominently for all interested patrons to view.  Do you feel safe when you see an A?  How about when you see a low A, perhaps a 91? Do you still sit down at your table with confidence even though the table might be a little bit sticky?  What does that A mean to you when you check the date and see that the eatery was last evaluated 9 months ago?  It's probably not quite as comfortable a stroll to your table now is it?

Health inspections or third party audits are only a snap shot in time and in many cases are not a true indicator of the Food Safety program being implemented in the establishment.  How do I know that this is not going to be a game of tag with Salmonella or Norovirus?  The answer is; you don't, but you can do some checking yourself.

As soon as you are seated, go to the restroom to wash your hands properly and check the place out.  If the restroom isn't clean, LEAVE.  It is an indicator of the overall shape of the place.

What is your overall impression of the restroom?

Does it smell good?

Is the trash can over flowing?

Are there paper towels?

Is there warm water?

Is there soap?

Are the floors clean?

Is there toilet tissue?

If these questions aren't answered to your satisfaction; LEAVE.

Things aren't going to get any better.