CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — There is a new layer of protection for customers dining at bars in North Carolina.
A new state law for 2024 requires a permit to serve certain foods at bars and clubs. Before the change, there were nearly 300 establishments in Mecklenburg County that were allowed to sell food without an official health inspection. This means the bars had no official check on the cleanliness, handwashing or food service standards.
The new law closes a loophole to require inspections in certain bar kitchens.
“Instead of focusing on the facility, we’re focusing on the types of foods,” says Chrystal Swinger, director of Environmental Health for the Mecklenburg County Health Department. “So, the bar may or may not need a permit, depending on what types of foods they would like to sell.”
The law applies to bars and clubs that serve time- and temperature-controlled food. It states facilities cannot open, prepare or handle any food items to serve to customers without a food service permit. Bars will be allowed to sell packaged chips or crackers.
“It really comes down to those types of foods are permitted and regulated, because it is public safety in the prevention of foodborne illnesses and that’s really the focus,” Swinger said.
Bars that serve time- or temperature-controlled foods will now need the same permit as a restaurant. This will require regular county health department inspections. Health department data shows 271 bars in Mecklenburg County did not have a permit before the law changed.
“About 60 percent of those bars are going to fall into this category of either they do need to have a permit or do they want to change their menu so that they don’t have to get a permit or do they want to have food trucks,” Swinger said. “So, there’s lots of options out there for them.”
The health department has been reaching out to bars sending owners a letter to help them weigh their options. Customers can expect to see visible changes at bars with permits.
“They should see a sanitation card prominently displayed at the front of the bar, that shows them that it is permitted, it’s been inspected, there’s food safety training that’s been had hand washing, all of those items that are required for inspections should be managed in that facility,” Swinger said.
For clarification, if you were eating at a bar that has a robust menu that’s also a restaurant, then it was getting inspected by the health department. This new law applies to establishments that mostly serve alcohol.
Data provided by the Mecklenburg County Health Department shows there are about 20 bars that have already been permitted to sell food. Another 75 have applications that are getting reviewed, and another 69 have requested visits from the health department. Bars have until March 27 to get a permit or stop selling food.
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