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How to read a restaurant inspection report

A walkthrough of every part of a Florida restaurant inspection record: visit types, dispositions, callbacks and repeat violations.

Visit type

Routine - Food is the regular unannounced inspection. Complaint Full and Complaint Partial are triggered by a public complaint. Food-Licensing Inspection happens before a new license or ownership change. Visits with a higher visit number on the same date are usually callbacks.

Disposition, from best to worst

  • Inspection Completed - No Further Action: nothing requires a return visit.
  • Call Back - Complied: a follow-up confirmed earlier problems were fixed.
  • Warning Issued or Call Back - Extension given: problems found, with a deadline to fix them.
  • Administrative complaint recommended: serious or repeated problems; the state may pursue fines.
  • Emergency order recommended: conditions bad enough to close the business until it passes a callback, most often for pests, sewage or no water.

Repeat violations

"Repeat Violation" means the same item was cited at a recent prior visit. Repeats tell you more than one-off findings because they show a habit, not a bad day.

Corrected on site

Many findings say "Corrected On-Site", meaning staff fixed it while the inspector was there, like moving food to a colder cooler or labeling a bottle. It still counts as a finding, but it's a good sign.

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