The following are among the food service establishments inspected from Jan. 16-25 by the Hall County Environmental Health Department. New rules and regulations for food service began on Dec. 1. Food service establishments will now be given a letter grade that coincides with a percentile: "A" (90-100), "B" (80-89), "C" (70-79), "U" 69 and below. The frequency of a restaurant’s inspections will be based on risk categorization, based on the menu items served, the food preparation processed performed and the previous food safety history in the food service establishment.

A new food service establishment that never has served food must score 100 (A) to receive a food service permit to operate. When a restaurant changes ownership, a new food service permit must be issued. To be issued a food service permit for a change of ownership, the establishment must score a 95 (A) or above with all Foodborne Illness Risk factors and Public Health Interventions in compliance. Permits must be posted in public view at all times. In addition to the copy posted inside the restaurant, food service establishments with drive-through windows will be required to have the top one-third of a copy of the most current inspection report visible through each window, allowing customers to easily read the score, date of inspection and establishment information. Copies of the new rules are available at the Hall County Environmental health Office. The rules and regulations also are available online at health.state.ga.us/programs/envservices/index.asp.

To register a complaint against a food service establishment, contact the Hall County Environmental Health Department at 770-531-3973.

Jan. 16

4850 Golden Parkway, Buford

Score: 94, Grade A

Onions in bag being stored underneath hand sink. Test strips missing for type of sanitizer used. No hot water available in entire establishment.

Inspector: Donna Black

4810 Golden Parkway, Buford

Score: 93, Grade A

No sanitizer in cloth storage buckets. Box of biscuits on floor in kitchen.

Inspector: Black

Jan. 18

1714 Atlanta Highway, Gainesville

Score: 84, Grade B

Tamales on steam table at 120 degrees F. Foods thawing in a pan of warm water. Used towels on counters, equipment, etc. Shelves covered with aluminum foil.

Inspector: Kathleen McDuffie

1714 Atlanta Highway, Gainesville

Score: 95, Grade A

Hand sink not stocked with paper towels. Food residue, cutlery and scrubbing pad in hand sink. Shelf covered with a plastic coated table cloth.

Inspector: McDuffie

317 Spring St., Gainesville

Score: 96, Grade A

Fish thawing in standing water. Gaskets on coolers have an accumulation of dried food.

Inspector: McDuffie

5537 Atlanta Highway, Flowery Branch

Score: 92, Grade A

Screening needs repair in outdoor cooking area. Fluorescent light fixture over ice storage bin has broken shield exposing bulbs inside.

Inspector: Laurie Wentworth

743 Spring St., Gainesville

Score: 99, Grade A

Hood vent louver damaged in hood over cooking area.

Inspector: Wentworth

3602 Southland Drive, Flowery Branch

Score: 100, Grade A

Inspector: Wentworth

Jan. 22

2275 Browns Bridge Road,
Gainesville

Score: 97, Grade A

Gallon container of mild with expiration date of 1/19/08.

Inspector: McDuffie

1447 Thompson Bridge Road, Gainesville

Score: 97, Grade A

Storage on floor.

Inspector: McDuffie

1010 Dawsonville Highway, Gainesville

Score: 100, Grade A

Inspector: McDuffie

1409 Browns Bridge Road,
Gainesville

Score: 77, Grade C

Employee putting gloves on before washing hands. Employee putting clean gloves on over used gloves without washing hands. Foods on make line above required temperature of 41 degrees F. Boxes of frozen meat on floor in kitchen. Disposable cleaning cloths were in sink being washed to be reused. Single serve items stored under counter have food debris. Toilet in ladies room not sealed to floor. Tiles in mop sink and throughout kitchen broken and grout missing.

Inspector: McDuffie

Jan. 23

707 Jesse Jewell Parkway,
Gainesville

Score: 90, Grade A

Hand sanitizer instead of soap in soap dispenser at hand sink. Hot water handle broken off at hand sink in kitchen. Buckets of sanitizer for storing cloths sitting on floor. Floor needs a good cleaning under front counter area that is under self-soda dispensing area. Wood baseboard in basement needs to be sealed to floor and wall juncture and either baseboard needs to be installed or floor and wall juncture needs to be caulked behind bag-in-a-box area in basement. Floor in basement is peeling. Floor needs cleaning under french fry station.

Inspector: Wentworth

4809 Golden Parkway, Buford

Score: 92, Grade A

Can opener with food residue. Personal items such as lotion, shave gel and aspirin stored in drawer with coffee and filters. Cloths used to wipe food contact surfaces need to be stored in sanitizer between uses. Area around grease container and Dumpster with trash and debris.

Inspector: Black

1711 Browns Bridge Road,
Gainesville

Score: 86, Grade B

Chili, cheese, mashed potatoes and other foods on steam table and in hot box with temperatures ranging from 47 to 82 degrees F. Bottles of chemicals and cleansers on table at bar with bottles of mustard, steak sauce, etc., next to chemicals. Areas throughout kitchen with food splatter on walls. Water pooled on floors.

Inspector: Black

Jan. 24

890 Dawsonville Highway,
Gainesville

Score: 100, Grade A

Inspector: Wentworth

Jan. 25

1501 Browns Bridge Road,
Gainesville

Score: 87, Grade B

Can opener, bread stick pans and drain board for clean dishes at dishwasher all stored with food debris stuck on them. Soda dispenser with mold and mildew buildup on nozzles and diffusers. Manager in office that is in same space as single-serve storage and wing cooking area smoking. Rolling proofer racks with heavy buildup of grease and food debris on them. Cabinets under soda dispensing station need a good cleaning inside. No chlorine test strips available to monitor the strength of sanitizer (chlorine) being dispensed in dish machine. Floors need better cleaning under equipment, especially around legs of equipment and at floor and wall junctures. Baseboard needs replacing on wall behind dishwasher and three-compartment sink needs repair. Evidence of rodent activity in cabinets under soda dispensing station. Women’s restroom without required covered trash container.

Inspector: Wentworth

1421 Athens St., Gainesville

Score: 80, Grade B

Meat in freezer stored in grocery bags. Cloths used to wipe food contact surfaces not being stored in chemical sanitizer at start of inspection. Container of cole slaw in beverage cooler with expired use by date. Coved baseboard still not installed behind cook line, and some of the installed baseboards in kitchen have pulled away from wall. Floor tiles damaged at floor and wall juncture at juncture of three-compartment sink and stainless steel table and under legs of stainless table. Dry storage room floor needs painting and sealing. Wood baseboard in dry storage needs to be painted and sealed at floor and wall juncture. Paper towel dispenser empty in unisex rest room. No lighting in dry storage room. Food handler changing gloves frequently cooking and doing dishes, but never washes hands before putting on gloves between task changes and glove changes.

Inspector: Wentworth