NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY OFFICE OF ASSEMBLYMEMBER ARAVELLA SIMOTAS For Immediate Release May 21, 2012 Contact:

Samantha Darche, 718-545-3889

Simotas Hosts Seminar to Help Local Restaurant Owners

Local Business Owners Learn about Health Code Regulations ASTORIA, N.Y.- On Thursday, Assemblymember Aravella Simotas hosted local restaurants owners and managers at Understanding the New Health Code: A Restaurant Seminar at Vino di Vino. The event was attended by members of the local business community and New York State Senator Gianaris. Simotas introduced the speakers by explaining her experiences working at her parents delicatessen throughout her early life. As the daughter of small business owners, I understand first hand that supporting these businesses is the key to our future economic success of our state, Simotas said. The presentation was delivered by restaurant health code consultants, Romel Balchan and Dr. Brooke Balchan of City Food Inspections and Beth Torin, Executive Director of the Bureau of Food Safety and Community Sanitation and Clifford Montesir, Supervisor at the New York City Department of Health. Western Queens is a vibrant neighborhood with diverse and exciting restaurants, many of them small and family-owned, Simotas said. Nothing is more important to small business owners without the resources to hire consultants and attorneys than transparency in the process of New York Citys Restaurant Grading System. This seminar is an opportunity for local business owners to learn from different perspectives about the in and outs of the restaurant grading system, and get answers to their questions about inspections and violations. Senator Gianaris said, Government should facilitate the success of responsible businesses rather than hinder them. The citys health code is an important tool to determine restaurants level of hygiene, food handling and vermin control, but enforcement of the code has become arbitrary and unnecessarily punitive. I applaud Assemblymember Simotas

for organizing todays seminar, which is a good way for business owners to better understand how the health code works and what they should do to ensure their establishments are in the best possible position to receive the highest grade. It starts in the street, City Food Inspections Romel Balchan informed the assembled restaurant owners about a typical inspection. The health department is checking to see if you have your grade posted properly. According to Mr. Balchan the key to a successful inspection is communication among the people working in the restaurant. The manager or owner isnt the one sweeping the floors, he explained. The owner or manager has to let the workers know what to look out for and make sure they stay informed. Ms. Torin from the Department of Health agreed that communication was central to maintaining a safe food environment. She noted that the food workers could also be certified in food safety measures. Most important, said Ms. Torin, is that a manager be prepared for inspection at any time because we are talking about food safety. She advised that using the checklist provided by the Department of Health managers or owners could give themselves an inspection on a regular basis. Ms. Torin and her colleague, Mr. Montesir answered the many questions from the restaurant owners and managers in attendance and gave her phone number to all present to use to contact her in case of any issue with an inspection. Simotas thanked the speakers for making themselves available to the community, Rocco Sacromone for hosting the seminar at Vino di Vino and New York Bakery for providing the cookies for the event. Simotas has introduced legislation requiring state, city and local regulatory bodies that set and enforce health standards for eating establishments to provide the establishments with written notice of any new rules that apply to them. The bill would also provide the businesses with a 60-day window after notice is given to adjust to the new regulations before they can be enforced. If were going to dig our state out of the fiscal mess it currently faces, small businesses will have to lead the way, she continued. For them to do that, we need to create a regulatory environment that protects the publics interests while allowing small businesses to thrive, create jobs, and propel New York into a better and brighter future. ###