Two changes by the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department will make it easier for the public to view restaurant inspection scores.

The most noticeable change is the use of new inspection placards that are required to be placed in areas visible by the public. The new placards feature the restaurant’s inspection score in a green box for a passing grade and red for a failing grade, along with a check box for areas of concern and violations.

“These new placards allow customers to immediately determine if a restaurant passed or failed and provide information about violations,” LFCHD Communications Officer Kevin Hall said. “Also, they’re designed to be easier to read and look better on the walls or in the windows of Lexington’s restaurants.”

The health department is also modernizing the way its employees record their inspections. Starting this week, inspectors will use an electronic system that allows inspections to be uploaded into an online database in real time, which will eliminate administrative staff time for data entry. The system also allows staff easy access to past inspection records to help identify repeated violations.

“Any steps we can take to improving our inspection process is beneficial to the people of Lexington,” Hall said. “Our restaurant inspections help protect every person who dines out in Lexington, and this gives us another way to help Lexington be well.”

People who say they’ve never used the health department have benefited from our restaurant inspections, and this gives us another way to help Lexington be well.”

The health department regulates about 1,550 restaurants, which are inspected at least twice per year.

Additional information about restaurant inspections, including a database of previous scores, can be found here.