Detroit City Council has recently approved the “Dining with Confidence” ordinance, making it simpler for patrons to identify which restaurants comply with health department standards. The ordinance mandates that food establishments receiving passing grades during health inspections must prominently display a green placard, while those failing to meet requirements will continue to exhibit a red placard.
Councilman Scott Benson, who has championed the ordinance for six years, emphasizes its dual purpose of enhancing public health safety and driving economic development. According to Benson, prioritizing people’s health will not only benefit the restaurant industry financially but also showcase Detroit as a premier destination for food enthusiasts and culinary tourism.
The green placards are designed to serve as incentives for compliance across various food establishments, including fast food outlets, fine dining restaurants, religious institutions, casinos, sports arenas, and educational institutions. This initiative mirrors similar rating systems implemented in major cities worldwide, which have yielded significant reductions in foodborne illnesses, hospitalizations, and fatalities, as highlighted by community food specialist Chef Phil Jones.
Over 200 Detroit restaurants have already participated in the pilot program, voluntarily displaying the placards. Jones stresses that the objective is not punitive but rather to equip establishments with the necessary resources to enhance profitability while ensuring a safe dining experience for customers.
Benson notes that only a handful of restaurants fail health inspections annually, resulting in the issuance of red placards. In such cases, the health department collaborates with the establishment to rectify deficiencies and attain a green placard.
The city aims to implement the placard system across all restaurants within the next eighteen months, with the signs prominently displayed at the entrance or near the register in food halls. Each placard will feature a QR code linking to the establishment’s most recent inspection date.
Jones encourages patrons to actively seek out these placards and review health inspection reports, not to deter them from dining out but to foster accountability among restaurant owners and promote continuous improvement in food safety standards.
