Inspection Scores Don't Tell All

When you go into a restaurant, how often do you look at the inspection score on the wall? A lot of people like to know how clean a restaurant is before they eat there. But a NewsChannel 5 investigation found that posted score may not tell you everything you should know. Consumer Investigator Jennifer Kraus discovered why.

Restaurant inspection scores may seem like a good way to judge how clean a restaurant is and a good indicator of where to eat and where not to eat.

Here's how that can make a difference: If a restaurant fails an inspection, the state gives it a second chance. The restaurant knows the inspectors are coming back; therefore, usually will get a higher score, and that's the score that the restaurant gets to leave up for the next six months.

Ronnie Hart, the head of the Tennessee Restaurant Association, said, "We thought that was only fair." Hart goes on to say, "We can have a bad day."

Restaurant owners said the low scores should come down when they correct the problems.

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