New Rule Threatens Closure of Restaurants Rated Below C

Beginning Monday, owners of food establishments that receive ratings below C will be required to explain at a hearing why they should not be closed, a Los Angeles County Department of Health Services official said.

The county Board of Supervisors ruled in favor of the new requirement to further ensure the safety of food served at Los Angeles County’s 36,000 restaurants and other eateries, said John Schunhoff, chief of operations for public health. “I think this is an improvement to the basic restaurant grading system program that the board approved last December,” Schunhoff said.

Owners of restaurants that do not receive at least a C grade will be required to attend a hearing within three days of receiving their ratings, said Cam Currier , a spokesman for Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.

At the hearing, the department will decide whether to suspend the public health permit based on the restaurant’s history of serious technical violations or repetitive violations, as well as the facility’s current status, Schunhoff said.