NEW YORK - New York City's 24,000 restaurants, which vary from simple diners to Michelin-rated foodie destinations, will soon all share a common grading system ?" a letter-based A, B or C ?" informing diners about food cleanliness and food safety, the Associated Press reports.
The rating system has some restaurateurs worried that those that earn a B or C will go out of business as diners favor only those with an A in the window.
"Some will undoubtedly close if they get a B or a C," said Robert Bookman, a lawyer for the New York State Restaurant Association, which opposes the letter grades.
However, many say they accept the new system and will simply work hard for the A.
"It is our goal always to get an A," said David Chang, owner of popular restaurants Momofuku Noodle Bar and Momofuku Ko. "If we don't get an A, we fail."
Chans has sent his sous chefs to New York's Health Department workshops to gain a full understanding of the new system.
Health officials say the letter rating system is being implemented because of the 11,000 people who go to hospitals in New York City each year for food-borne illnesses related to dining out.
Under the new system, restaurants receiving fewer than 14 violation points during an inspection will earn an A, with those between 14 and 27 points earning a B, and those with more than 27, a C.
A restaurants that gets more than 13 violation points will be re-inspected within a month, and if it still doesn't qualify for an A, it will post its B or C grade or a card that says "grade pending" while it appeals the score at an administrative tribunal.
Marc Murphy, the owner of Landmarc in Tribeca, said the letter grade system is unfair.
"Either you're clean enough to operate and you're legal, or you're closed," Murphy said. "Close the restaurants that are dirty...I would hate to see a restaurant close because they had a leaky faucet and a light bulb that wasn't lit quite right and they got a C and they couldn't end up staying open because the place next to them had an A."
Others criticized the grading system as inconsistent, citing inspectors who have distinct, subjective standards.
"The issue that may arise is the inconsistency from one inspector to another," said Charles Masson of La Grenouille.