Health Department Sites Problems at Donut King

By Erin Lindgren

The Donut King pastry-shop and deli on Vermont Avenue near the University of Southern California received a "B" grade from the health department after its last inspection revealed problems with food storage and general restaurant cleanliness.

The restaurant has received two "B's" in the last year and similar problems remained from one inspection to the next, including a leaky roof in the dining area and dry food storage under the sink. Manager Chau Siv said that the grade remains low because of changes being made in the transition period between two store owners. "We had an A from the previous owner, but the new owner just came in and we were inspected right after that, so we had a ‘B' and we didn't have time to fix it." Siv added that luckily the grade has not noticeably affected business because of customer loyalty. She's also seen an increase of new customers who used to shop at the Ralph's at the corner of the strip mall, but have taken their donut business to Donut King during the supermarket worker's strike.

Donut King received a grade of 88 on the Los Angeles County Environmental Health Department's scale of 100, where a score of 100-90 merits an "A" for superior food handling, an 89-80 is a "B" grade for good food handling, a 79-70 is a "C"for acceptable and any restaurant, bar or market scoring below that faces temporary or permanent closing because of immediate health risks to customers.

Although plenty of restaurants like Donut King still receive "B" grades, according to the county the percentage of "A's" has risen from 58 percent when the program started in 1998 to 83 percent today. In addition, the once controversial grading program has led to decreases in emergency room visits for food poisoning, offered restaurants financial incentive to meet health standards, and given potential customers an extra factor to consider in the process of choosing a restaurant.

The program was developed in January of 1998 after KCBS aired results of a four-month investigation into the food service industry on the nightly news. The exposé revealed cross-contamination of foods, unsanitary practices of workers, and kitchens full of vermin, debris and grime- all health department terms that translated into thousands of churning stomachs in the L.A. area and the quick development of a health grading system that would make the cleanliness of any restaurant clearly visible to the public by posting an A, B or C in the window.

Health inspections now occur two to three times a year in all restaurants, bars, markets and food warehouses in Los Angeles County's 85 cities. During the surprise health assessment the inspector considers food storage, handling, preparation and service. Restaurants can lose one or two points for not having soap or towels stocked in the bathroom, or for preparing food too far ahead of it being served. They lose six points or more for issues that immediately impact the public's health, such as a rat or cockroach infestation or spoiled meat and vegetable products.

According to a Stanford consumer study, in its first year, the grading system improved health in Los Angeles. The study revealed that hospital admissions for food-related illnesses dropped 13 percent in Los Angeles County while rising 3.2 percent in the rest of the country. The same study showed that the rating system gives restaurants financial incentive to meet standards of cleanliness, sales at "A" restaurants rose 5.7 percent for an average increase of $15,000 a year in revenue. A study by the county says restaurants with a "B" grade can face business drop-offs of 20 percent or more.

Customers at Donut King said that the grade doesn't affect their choice to return to the donut shop, but does factor into deciding whether or not to try a new restaurant. They also said grades were more of a consideration depending on the type of food, and that they would not order seafood or fresh vegetables at a restaurant with less than an "A" rating.

Since the inspection Donut King has fixed the leaky roof, which was the main problem. They await the return of the inspector so they can bring their grade up to an "A." Siv said they expected the health inspector before Christmas but the re-inspection still has not come. "We just keep clean," Siv said, gesturing to the polished floors and spotless countertops, "we do our best until they come back."

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