Tunney: Public May Not Understand Restaurant Inspection Results
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The City of Chicago has rolled out a new Web site with thousands of restaurant inspection results online.
But as WBBM Newsradio's Steve Miller reports, Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), who is a restaurant owner himself, says some people may get the wrong impression.
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The point that Tunney makes is that the inspection reports online require a little study and not just a glance.
Tunney, who represents the neighborhoods of Lakeview in the City Council, also owns Ann Sather restaurants, a longtime institution in Chicago.
The city's restaurant inspection Web site shows two Ann Sather locations failed inspections more than a year ago, and soon after passed.
Specific violations are listed in a not-so-apparent dropdown box.
"The person looking online will have to understand what a passing grade is and what a not-passing grade is," Tunney said, "I'm not sure they'll look at it that seriously. They'll look at it probably casually and maybe get a wrong interpretation. I don't know until we try it."
For the record, all Tunney's restaurants now have passing grades.
The Web site has information on inspections from Jan. 1, 2010, through this past Monday. Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Bechara Choucair says it will be updated weekly.
