It just became a little easier, and cheaper, to run a restaurant in Dallas
Prior to the code revision, Dallas restaurant and food business managers had to submit an application form through the city to show they were certified... The Dallas City Council has approved a code change that no longer requires food service managers to register with the city. Previously, these managers had to submit an application form to prove they were certified through the state’s health department, which cost $63 and resulted in a penalty of up to $500 if they failed. Now, they are only required to obtain a food manager certificate from the state's health department. Restaurateur Tanner Agar, who opened a restaurant in Dallas with his business partners, said this change is a welcome change in a city where the process for opening and operating restaurants is often cumbersome.
Published : a month ago by Claire Ballor in Lifestyle
Dallas City Council approved a code change Wednesday that no longer requires food service managers to register with the city.
Prior to the code revision, restaurant and food business managers had to submit an application form through the city to show they were certified through the state’s health department. The registration cost $63, and food service managers faced a penalty of up to $500 if they didn’t comply.
Now, they are only required to obtain a food manager certificate from the state’s health department.
It may be a small change, but restaurateur Tanner Agar says it’s a meaningful one. When he and his business partners opened Rye in Dallas after operating in McKinney for years, they were surprised and confused by the Dallas requirement.
“You had to register to show that you were registered,” Agar said of the code requirement. “You can see why we thought it was odd.”
Agar said the change is a welcomed one in a city where the process for opening and operating restaurants is notoriously choked with red tape on things from awnings to parking requirements.
“I do think there should be rules for restaurants, but it can be helpful when there are fewer hoops to jump through, especially when I don’t think those hoops are making things safer,” he said. “The city is growing and changing, and code needs to change to reflect that for the best interest of the citizens, and doing away with obstacles only benefits the people who have jobs with us and the people who dine with us.”
Topics: Food & Drink