16 Comments

Call me a cynic, but why do I get the feeling that the “anonymous customer complaint” was actually a “petty competitor complaint”?

Thanks for showing this story. After getting horrible service at the GM dealer last week, I’m going to turn them in for their coffee and donuts.

“The state health and safety code talks about food regulations,” said Elizabeth Huff, manager of community services for the Ventura County Environmental Health Division. “Anybody who handles food is subject to the regulations.”

They are just petty bureaucrats who get their jollies by given businesses a hard time. They don’t even have the “excuse” that it’s for the children.

Richard, those petty bureaucrats probably would use the excuses that coffee and donuts are “not good for children”–because “children today ingest too much caffeine, and they are obese because they eat too much sugar”.

At the source article, there is another link to a follow up story that says the original complaint was not for coffee and doughnuts, but for barbecue pork being cooked on a grill that was being demonstrated.

County officials clarify store doughnut ban

“At the source article, there is another link to a follow up story that says the original complaint was not for coffee and doughnuts, but for barbecue pork being cooked on a grill that was being demonstrated.”

First they came for the pork, and I did not speak out…

So, if my kids’ pediatrician gives them a sucker, after giving them shots required for school, to “help make the ouchie go away,” these fools are going to show up and close down the doctors’ office?

“The family-run hardware store has been serving customers free coffee for 20 years and doughnuts for the past six or seven years, owner Randy Collins said Tuesday.

Collins said employees were only promoting the store’s new barbecue smoker by cooking the meat in front for a few hours on Saturdays.

“We were only doing it a month or two,” Collins said. “Customers would ask for samples, and frankly the employees just did not realize they were doing anything wrong. That caused the complaint, and we stopped it as soon as the Health Department came in.”

When Collins was told the doughnuts and coffee also had to go unless he made various changes to his store — including putting in a new three-compartment sink, a refrigerator and approved flooring — he decided to stop the free caffeine and sweet treats, he said.

Collins said he also was told to stop selling candy.”

So the initial report was for BBQ, but the fine was for the doughnuts and coffee.
The last line is interesting.

I guess that the barber can no longer give out gum to the kids after a haircut, and no suckers at the bank or the doctor’s office.

I wonder if the county office building has doughnuts or coffee in the break room……

Well, I don’t think Mom had a food-handling license. Maybe I oughta shop the old biddy to the health nazis…

They are just petty bureaucrats who get their jollies by given businesses a hard time. They don’t even have the “excuse” that it’s for the children.

Perhaps. But you might have a different opinion if you read some of Bill Marler’s blogs on food poisoning.

All these guys need to do is erect a highly visible sign which reads something like “Local Brotherhood of Hardware Sellers – LBHS – 1234” and the quasi-gov’t thugs will look the other way.

Aw, c’mon guys, just give the kids free condoms with the food and you’ll be home free, right?

Perhaps. But you might have a different opinion if you read some of Bill Marler’s blogs on food poisoning.

From coffee and donuts? You are missing my point. I was only commenting on their heavy-handed regulation of free coffee and donuts and not on the regulation of meat or other food processing facilities. Nobody disputes the need for health regulations for these industries.

My problem is that the officials said that they wouldn’t have bothered to the store for the donuts and coffee. It was only when some guys were demo-ing a grill that the donuts and coffee became “illegal.” Then they found that “candy” being sold was suddenly illegal as well.

I have never been in a locally owned hardware store that doesn’t have some sort of candy or pre-packaged foodstuffs (like Slim-Jims) at the counter. Frankly, it is part of the charm. I walk into my locally owned store and the people there welcome me by name. I walk into Lowes and the person wants to know if I want to sign up for a Lowes’ credit card.

If the coffee, donuts and candy were acceptable prior to the barbeque complaint, they are acceptable now. Anything else reeks of “OOO’s” (overly officious officials).

Thank God I don’t live there, but in Louisiana: where the Saints are champs and the food is tasty, regardless on where it’s prepared.

Under Calcode 113789.(c) “Food Facility” does not include any of the following:(5) Premises set aside for Wine Tasting as long as no food is served except for crackers. I suggest to Elizabeth Huff from the County Environmental Health Division , that since no coffee and donuts are allowed , maybe it would be better to set up a wine tasting location at B and B Do it Center.

Now let’s study Calcode
113739 “Beverage” liquid including water
113781 “Food” beverage
113789 “Food Facility” (1) an operation where food is consumed on or off premises,regardless of whether there is a charge for the food.

Therefore any operation that has water to drink by Calcode definition is considered a Food Facility requiring permits , food prep area, stainless sinks etc.

I do not believe that that was the intent of Calcode and I believe this Code needs to be further evaluated . The code is too broad as can be seen by this example.