A deli in Queens gets New York City’s first A for food safety.
The city rolled out its new system of awarding letter grades to restaurants Wednesday. Health Commissioner Thomas Farley presented an A to Spark’s Deli in Long Island City.
Deli owner Jose Araujo says he’s proud to see the A in his window.
The city awards grades based on cleanliness and whether food is kept at the right temperature. Restaurants that don’t earn an A the first time will be given a chance to bring their grade up before they must display a B or a C.
Farley says most restaurants maintain good conditions, but lapses in food safety can cause preventable illnesses.