Most people don't look up a restaurant's food safety history online before grabbing a bite to eat — but soon you won't have to research to know what's happening in the kitchen.
The ABC's of food safety are about to take over Boston restaurants, food trucks and cafeterias.
The city's inspectional services department is working on a grading system — similar to other in major cities like New York.
“For people out of town to come see these when I go to New York City, you see a grade, you go in, you don't see a grade you don't go in,” said Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.
In New York, those grades are posted in the front of the restaurant.
The Boston plan doesn't require that it be front and center but it will have to be visible.
And Walsh wants to make sure restaurants comply so he is proposing a 300-dollar a day fine to restaurants and food trucks that don't.
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“Food trucks especially because some are great but others it just smells and you're like 'what the heck is going on in there,’” said Maria Bellalta of Boston.
But some worry the simplified approach won't reflect the complexities of the city's health code.
Diners would have to go online to read detailed reports.
“I think it gives you something, at least an initial gauge,” said Aidan Ackerman of Boston.
“We have a lot of restaurants in the city that are clean restaurants it's just another way to make sure people go into a restaurant that's well maintained,” said Mayor Marty Walsh.
The proposed fine will go before the Boston City Council on Wednesday. The grading system is still in the works and restaurants would have a year after it's implemented to comply.
