Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Avoiding Letter Grades, Restaurants Pretend To Be Markets
By
Garth Johnston
Published Jan 9, 2012
Modified Jan 9, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Garth Johnston
Published Jan 9, 2012
Modified Jan 9, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Restaurateurs aren't exactly big fans of the Department of Health (see: the guy who got big fines, he says, for photographing an inspector working) but the Daily News today notices an interesting way that some are getting out of the standard inspections entirely: Just claim to be a supermarket or a warehouse!
Pinning numbers on how many of the 14,202 wholesalers and supermarkets in the state are really just restaurants in disguise is tricky, but it does seem to (anecdotally) be more than a few—though not, we'll point out, some of the notable recent high-end restaurant/stores like Urban Rustic and Jeffrey's Market. As one Brooklyn restaurant owner explains it, these fakestermarkets "don’t have to deal with the city and all the new crazy laws." Carefully ignoring the fact the DOH is actually actively trying to make its rules easier!
Anyway, the way that places like the Village's Bagels on the Square get away without traditional inspections despite serving up "myriad goodies, including wraps, cheese sandwiches and salads," is by arguing that, since the market aspect of their shops make up more than half of their business they are markets and therefore under the aegis of the Department of Agriculture which inspects far less frequently (and doesn't make you put a sign in your window).
But the DOH, meanwhile, isn't worried: "We have no evidence of businesses setting themselves up to fall into a particular jurisdiction," John Kelly, a spokesman for the Health Department, told the News. "Restaurants are recognizing the power and importance of an A in the window. More than 77 percent of N.Y.C. restaurants now have A’s. The dining public likes seeing that."
Tagged
department of agriculture
department of health
doh
inspections
letter grades
Garth Johnston
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
Where are the cheapest drinks in NYC? A new report details the city's average prices.
The median price of a cocktail in the city is now $16, and $9 for a draft beer.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 1:31 p.m. ET
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .