While most of UCLA was breathing a sigh of relief after finals,
Espresso Roma Café still had one test left to go ““ its
health and safety inspection. Hoping to raise its C grade from last
August, Café Roma employees were disappointed when the
café earned yet another C rating.
However, unlike students who just finished finals, Café
Roma was able to pay money to retake its test and raise its score
from a 78 (out of 100) to a 98, thus receiving an A grade.
On March 26, while most students were away on spring break, The
Anderson School’s Roma Café was unexpectedly visited by
the California Department of Health Services, Food and Drug Branch,
and was immediately shut down for two days after receiving a C
grade.
Roma Café’s closure was partially due to rodent feces
that were found in the UCLA electrical room connected to the
café.
“(The inspector) found rodent droppings in the electrical
room, which we found out later is not Café Roma’s
responsibility,” said Café Roma manager Jason Hood.
“Now we lock the door and put a weather strip at the
bottom,” Hood added.
“I take responsibility for the grade because I was the
manager at the time of inspection, but there is a split
responsibility with UCLA because the electrical room is its
responsibility,” Hood said.
Other infractions included unacceptable temperatures of certain
foods, the coffee bean container being stored on the floor, and
torn refrigerator gaskets.
Dissatisfied with a C grade, Café Roma requested an
Operator Initiated Inspection. According to Terrance Powell of the
California Department of Health and Services, once every year the
owner of a privately owned restaurant can pay for another
inspection in hopes of raising the restaurant’s grade.
However, the second inspections lacks the fundamental element of
surprise.
“It is no small wonder that the inspector would approve
because the restaurant has received a report stating all of its
deficiencies and therefore knows exactly what to improve before the
inspector gets there,” Powell said. “Also, they know
exactly when the inspector is coming.”
However, Powell said despite the lack of surprise the second
time around, the restaurant is held accountable because a follow-up
inspection is given 30 to 60 days after the second inspection to
make sure that the restaurant is still at A level.
“Either way, it’s a winning situation for the
public,” Powell said, adding that most restaurants maintain
their higher grade and do better after the second inspection.
Roma Café District Manager Chris Barr had no doubts that
the café would regain the status it lost in August 2002 as an
A restaurant.
“Do I think we’ll get the A back in the next two
weeks? Unequivocally. Is Roma a safe and healthy place to eat?
Without question,” Barr said directly after Roma
Café’s closure.
In the mean time, Roma Café is looking forward to restoring
business with its new A.
“We have suffered a loss of business. Naturally, after a
closure, business was not as good, but it was just a minor
setback,” Hood said.
“This is definitely going to restore it. I feel very
relieved. We’re ready to move on, move past it, and work
harder,” he added.