The Health Department may order a restaurant to temporarily close for the following reasons: (1) the correction of a public health hazard and (2) the failure of three consecutive restaurant inspections (i.e., the score of 28 points or more).

The Health Department’s temporary closure is very public.  The Health Department orders the restaurant to prominently post notices of the closure on the restaurant’s windows and doors, which pretty much ensures that the media picks up the story.  To further aggravate matters, the fines associated with a restaurant closure are expensive.

In order to reopen, the restaurant must (1) correct all of the violations and (2) submit a written statement to the Health Department indicating the correction of the violations.  Once these steps are completed, the Health Department conducts a reopening inspection.

Once the restaurant is re-opened, the Health Department generally conducts an inspection three months following the reopening inspection.  The “failure” of additional inspections may lead the Health Department to initiate procedures for the revocation of suspension of the operator’s permit.

Helpful Resources:

You can learn more about Health Department’s inspection here.