Add to favorites Examiner Bio

Restaurant Shame: Behind the kitchen doors.

Can I help you?

 

 

 

 

In a comment to one of my recent articles, reader Tom Treolar noted that you can tell a lot about the condition of the kitchen by the condition of its washrooms. Apparently, that truth not only holds truth for the condition of the kitchen, but for the treatment of staff and customers as well. If an establishment serving food takes such poor care of its facilities, how well are they taking care of their employees and how much do they care about customers? A recent Center for Science in the Public Interest, (CSPI), study asked the same questions and uncovered some interesting and shocking facts about the places we dine.     

 

We all know that restaurant jobs are not generally high paying, but the study revealed that on top of low wages, 13% of the five million restaurant workers nationwide receive less than minimum wage, their tips are often confiscated and 59% never receive overtime pay for overtime worked. The study looked at 30 restaurants in each of 20 different cities and reported on 539 representative restaurants. Only nine states reported adopting the 2005 FDA food code, and that includes every type of restaurant from fast food to high-end gourmet.   Colorado Springs was one of the cities in the study and reported only eight inspectors for 2,000 restaurants and, as a result, ranked third highest in health code violations of all the establishments studied. 

 

The National Restaurant Association says, “For a year or for a career, the restaurant industry is a critical training ground and source for extraordinary career opportunities for Americans of every background”. Apparently, the Americans they are referring to are Central Americans and South Americans. The CSPI reports that 2/3 of all restaurant workers in the United States are from Central and South America. Additionally, the NRA asserts. “Restaurants give back. Restaurants are an important part of local communities with nine out of ten restaurants donating food, time, facilities and other resources to charitable causes”. Well, they sure are not donating much to their employees. 

 

The Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York reports that the average dishwasher earns $180 to $300 a week for 50 to 80 hours of work. That comes out to $3.60 an hour on the low end and $3.75 at the top. Delivery drivers, (the people who bring the pizzas to your house), report earnings of only $120 to $200 for as many hours as the dishwashers work. By law, the Federal Minimum Wage as of July 4, 2008 is $6.55 an hour, but only $2.13 an hour for employees receiving tips of over $30 a month.   The restaurants are supposed to make up the difference if a $2.13 an hour, tipped employee does not earn enough in a month to equal minimum wage, but many foreigners are reluctant to “rock the boat”. After all, it is still more than they could make in their home countries and how practical is it to take one’s own boss to court? Besides, working 80 hours a week does not leave much time for trips to the lawyer’s office even though the Department of Labor does offer assistance for those who can visit. 

 

The restaurant industry is one of the nation’s largest private sector employers boasting 12.8 million in 2006, (37% are under the age of 24, and 1/3 are working part time). With 945,000 establishments reporting $558.3 billion in sales, you would think they might give back as generously to their workers as they claim to give to their charities. For me, it makes me wonder about a little twist on Tom Treloar’s axiom. If I can tell a lot about the cleanliness of the kitchen by the condition of the washroom, does that mean I can tell a lot about how that restaurant feels about me as a customer by the way they reward their workers? I am ready to find out. 

 

If you are a restaurant worker working for an establishment that keeps the place clean, treats workers fairly and really treats customers hospitably, let me know. If you own or know of a restaurant that is exceptionally clean, the world should know. Tell me about it and I will post a list of “Denver’s Cleanest Restaurants” to my page. I want to know about these places and give them the recognition and credit they deserve, but, most of all, I want to really know what goes on behind those kitchen doors. 

For more info:  Center for Science in the Public Interest: CSPInet.org

Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York: rocny.org

The Department of Labor: dol.gov

National Restaurant Association: restaurant.org

Colorado Restaurant Association: coloradorestaurant.com

Denver restaurants: denvergrub.com