Business & Tech

Has Your Favorite Minneapolis Restaurant Had Health Code Violations?

A new website appears to be home two years worth of information on health code violations for Minneapolis establishments.

Ever wondered which of your favorite restaurant spots in town has had a run-in with the health inspector?

A new website, mplshealth.com, appears to offer a way to search for health code violations at establishments all around Minneapolis. All visitors do is type the restaurant name—or school or nightclub or grocery store or any other place in town that serves up edible items—into the search box on the home page. 

According to the data, which reportedly shows violations from May 2011 through May 2013, there are a variety of code violations, both critical and non-critical, that have been recorded. 

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

For example, Topper's Pizza on 54th Street and Nicollet Avenue was reportedly cited this past January for not providing and maintaining a fingernail brush at the hand-washing sink used by employees, the data says. This was not a critical violation, and no other violations had been listed for the two year period. 

Meanwhile, down the street at the Subway on 46th Street and Nicollet, five violations. Four of the violations were listed on the same day (June 16, 2011) and three were critical, including one for not maintaining potentially hazardous foods at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below under mechanical refrigeration, to prevent bacterial growth and/or toxin production. 

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

But before you go hunting around the website, know the site is not operated by the City of Minneapolis. The website offers this disclaimer:

This data was released by the City of Minneapolis on July 15, 2013, for a period of May 2011 to May 2013. The data is only as accurate as City procedures for releasing it. No guarantee or warranty of accuracy. Listed violations are orders from City inspectors at the time the alleged violations are found, and the findings may have been corrected by the food establishment and closed. Some businesses receive more or different inspections based on the nature of the business, sales, and facility.

Matt Laible in the City of Minneapolis Communications Department confirmed with Patch that a large set of data was shared with the creator of the site upon request. 

"However, obviously, the City can’t verify the accuracy of a private site in general," he added in an email.

For questions on the data or to give feedback on the new site, email info@mplshealth.com.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here