Logan Square Kitchen Wins Hearing, Announces Health Inspection Parties

By Anthony Todd in Food on Aug 29, 2011 2:00PM

After 19 health inspections in two years, Logan Square Kitchen finally went to the city to complain. Guess what, they won. Unfortunately, the health record of the shared-use kitchen wasn't cleared, because of the way administrative hearings work in Chicago. Undaunted, the owner, Zina Murray, told us last night that she was starting "Health Inspection Parties," with the premise that "Hey, transparency can be fun!"

Let us elaborate. While Murray did get her desired result last week (the fine was vacated), when she requested that the court issue her a clean inspection report, the court said that they couldn't do that. This means that, according to Murray, "I still have an inspection report posted with three groundless violations on it, and every client in a farmer's market or outdoor festival must submit. So there's a meeting/phone call/email every time to explain that, 'yes I have violations, but they have been corrected.'"

So, in a particularly entertaining act of protest, Murray has announced the "Health Inspection Parties." Anytime that LSK gets word that an inspector is on the way, they'll invite all of their followers on Twitter and facebook, as well as their neighbors and customers, in for coffee and goodies. "We believe the best disinfectant is fresh air and sunshine," Murray said in a recent release. "What better place for the media, future food business owners, and the public to see what happens in an actual health inspection-- and why it does (or does not) keep the public safer."

In other, slightly more concrete news, Murray has started a petition to reform the health department that you can participate in. At 6 AM, it already had over 100 signatures.