January DHEC - 4 Tri-County restaurants get a "C"

(WCIV) — There are hundreds of restaurants and retail food stores in the Tri-County area, Of those, four restaurants received a grade of “C” from DHEC during January.

Two of those restaurants have since seen their grades improve to "A" in follow-up inspections, according to DHEC. A third again received a "C" in a follow-up, and a fourth has not had its follow-up inspection results posted.

Three of the restaurants that got a "C" are located in Charleston County. A fourth is in Dorchester County. No restaurants in Berkeley County received a "C" from DHEC in January.

Following is a list of the four Lowcountry food establishments that received a “C” in the last month. Overall scores and links to DHEC reports explaining the grades are provided for each.

CHARLESTON COUNTY

• Las Lupitas1745 Remount Rd., North Charleston“C” grade, 73% score, Jan. 23 (REPORT)Most recent grade: “C,” 90%, Feb. 2
• Shem Creek Bar & Grill508 Mill St., Mount Pleasant“C” grade, 75% score, Jan. 9 (REPORT)“C” grade, 94% score, Jan. 12 (REPORT)Most recent grade: “A,” 100%, Jan. 16
• Kanpai1035 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Mount Pleasant“C” grade, 74% score, Jan. 30 (REPORT)Most recent grade: “A,” 97%, Feb. 2

DORCHESTER COUNTY

• Sunshine Food Store901 Miles Rd., Summerville“C” grade, 96% score, Jan. 16 (REPORT)No follow-up inspection results reported by DHEC as of Feb. 5

Outside the Tri-county, the Little Caesar’s on Lady’s Island Drive in Beaufort got a 99% score, but was given a “C” grade on Jan. 8. It has since been given an “A.”

No restaurants in Colleton, Georgetown, Orangeburg or Williamsburg received a “C” in January.

PAST GRADES

• November: 4 Charleston restaurants get a "C"
• October: 6 restaurants get a "C"

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ABOUT DHEC's FOOD GRADES

Retail Food Establishment Inspections are scored based on a 100 point scale. At the completion of the inspection, a letter grade is posted at each facility based on the calculated numerical score and the facility's past compliance history.

• Grade A - The retail food establishment earned more than 87 points. Food safety practices appeared to meet the requirements of 61-25
• Grade B - The retail food establishment earned 87-78 points. Food safety practices need improvement.
• Grade C - The retail food establishment earned less than 78 points. Food safety practices need significant improvement.

There are circumstances and conditions outlined in state health code under which the letter grade posted at a facility may differ from the numerical score of the most recent inspection.

Each score is a snapshot in time based on how a retail food establishment handles the five major risk factors related to employee behaviors and preparation practices.

The five major risk factors are:

• Food Contact Equipment Cleanliness - Did the inspector see build up on equipment that comes into contact with food?
• Cooking Temperatures - Are foods being cooked or heated to temperatures within a safe range?
• Employee Health - Does the facility have a plan in place to require employees who are sick to stay home?
• Food Sources - Can the facility prove where all foods are coming from and are they coming from approved sources? (an exception would be raw, unprocessed produce from small farms, produce stands or farmers markets)
• Food Holding Temperatures - Were the foods maintained at safe hot or cold holding temperatures?