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ever make food, but for us this was fine because we never, ever wanted to make food. Just don't kid yourself, and don't kid them. Be nice, ask questions and be honest. If you already have a shop, you've probably been through many inspections. Over time, you start to figure out what your city's health department really cares about and what they don't seem to notice. Disclaimer #2: Our shop is really clean. We're a bit obsessive-compulsive in that department. But because it's a work- ing coffee shop, it does get messy, and there are always things to be done. With that in mind, we think of health inspections in two ways: preparation and reaction. Preparation means keeping your shop in order. Start by storing everything in its proper place. No jugs of bleach on the shelf above the tea bags. No cans of paint next to the coffee beans. And keep your shop clean—not just your work area, but all of it. Don't just look behind the bar. Look around like a cus- tomer. Wipe those ceil- ing fans. Dust those base- boards. Health inspectors notice that stuff. And of course, keep the work area clean. Remember the inside of your refrigera- tors (make sure they each have a thermometer) as well as the shelves under the cups. Oh, and the ice machine. Clean. Your. Ice. Machine. We're serious about this. Open it up, take it apart and clean it. You have to do this and do it often. If you make cleaning and organizing a daily part of shop life, everything will be much easier. Make a schedule and stick to it. Don't wait for things to look dirty. Clean them on schedule so they stay clean. Now let's say the store is clean and sparkling, and here comes the health inspector. Reaction time. First of all, don't freak out. This may sound like a stretch, but try to act happy to see the inspector. Smile, introduce yourself and let him or her know you are there to help. This may be the most important bit of advice: Don't treat your health inspector like the enemy. You don't want that person to be your enemy. Ask questions, and make sure the inspector knows you WANT to make everything right. If the inspector cites you for something that you can fix on the spot, do so. It shows you heard the note and that you care enough to change it, and it may mean you don't get docked those precious points. Ask questions. If the inspector engages you, keep talking. Sometimes it's harder to punish someone you like. So be nice. And if something makes you angry, wait until the inspector's gone to let the vitriol spew. Also, have a plan in place that your employ- ees know to follow when an inspector arrives. Have inspection-related items handy, and make sure everyone knows where they are—that means items like a ther- mometer, test strips for sanitizer, bleach, gloves, etc. At Once Over, our staff knows to call us if we're not at the shop so we can try to come imme- diately. Disclaimer #3: We live two blocks from our shop, so we can get there quickly if we need to. We also have a few things we do to, um, reverse any known infractions we may be guilty of (there are a few rules that we think are silly and that we know we can break without endan- gering the public in any way). Keep in mind, we do sometimes get busted for our "free thinking," which for us is just the cost of doing business. That said, we instruct our employees to do as little as possible during a health inspector visit. Less activity means fewer mistakes. A lot of hand washing, how- ever, is always a good idea. That's our approach to health inspections. Know the rules. Stay clean and organized. Have a plan. And above all, be nice, coopera- tive and respectful. These people can and will hold grudges. They are only human, just like you. Good luck on your next inspection. And for the record, we do not recommend making coffee on the bathroom floor. That's just gross. freshcup.com January 2012 53