The Department of Environmental Health in San Diego County has developed a brand-new mobile website called SDFoodInfo.org that enables users to easily search for and access data on thousands of restaurants.
SAN DIEGO (COUNTY NEWS CENTER) – The restaurant has a new name, a new address, and a larger menu.
The Department of Environmental Health in San Diego County has developed a new mobile website called SDFoodInfo.org that enables users to quickly and easily locate and obtain details about the thousands of restaurants, food trucks, and markets located around the county.
The website will not only allow users to view three years’ worth of restaurant health inspection results, but it will also display a map of nearby eateries, show street instructions to get there, and even allow users to call the establishment to inquire about reservations.
To ensure they are following food safety standards, Environmental Health conducts routine inspections of approximately 15,000 food establishments, including roughly 8,000 restaurants, as well as food trucks, supermarkets, convenience stores, and the majority of other locations that serve or sell food. Through the department’s website, residents, visitors, and foodies can access County health inspection data to discover if their favorite restaurant has received a “A” grade card and to learn more about the County’s food inspection program.
Nonetheless, SDFoodInfo.org will provide more information than ever. The first change is an increase in the number of inspection results for dining establishments from the three most recent inspections to the last three years.
Also, there are other ways to search for restaurants on SDFoodInfo.org. Consumers can use the restaurant’s name or address to find it in the search results. Also, they can locate groupings of restaurants by looking up their ZIP codes, localities, and, to a lesser extent, the food that they offer, if that item is mentioned in the restaurant’s name. For instance, typing “taco,” “burger,” “Italian,” or “seafood” will help customers find eateries.
The San Diego Chapter of the California Restaurant Association (CRA), which represents 1,100 member restaurants and conducts the well-known San Diego Restaurant Week, has already given the new website the thumbs up.
According to Chapter President Chuck Ross, “One of CRA’s primary concerns is to guarantee that customers have the highest trust when they eat at our restaurants. SDFoodInfo.org will assist in achieving this goal by giving the dining public the most current and accurate information.”
On a desktop computer, the map and list are side-by-side; on a smartphone, users can switch between the map and list. SDFoodInfo.org also includes a text list of restaurants with their addresses and the current food grade card — “A,” “B,” or “C,” as well as a map with pin markers indicating the first 30 food facilities nearby.
Viewers can access more information about a restaurant by clicking on its name in the text list or on the names of the establishments marked with pins on the map. The viewer can click on links to call the restaurant or submit a complaint to Environmental Health’s complaint center, as well as a link to check inspection findings and the driving distance to the eatery.
Environmental Health inspectors assign restaurants and food facilities a score out of 100 based on how effectively they adhere to food safety laws. The scale evaluates a variety of requirements, including employee sanitation and hygiene, safe food handling, and maintaining food temperatures.
Restaurants must receive between 90 and 100 points to receive a “A” card, indicating that they substantially adhere to health regulations and protect patron safety. A “B” card indicates that the restaurant need improvement and has a score between 80 and 90 points. A grade of 79 points or fewer is considered a failing grade on a “C” card.
