The Orange County Board of Supervisors is facing renewed calls to establish and enforce a mandatory letter grade health rating system for all restaurants and food establishments. Proponents argue that Orange County remains an outlier in Southern California, with surrounding counties such as Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino all utilizing highly visible A, B, or C letter grading systems for public health.
Currently, Orange County relies on what is described as an opaque system of hidden certificates and vague online reports, which critics say leaves local consumers uninformed about food safety. This issue has a long history in the county, with previous efforts to implement a transparent system failing.
In 2008, the Orange County Grand Jury strongly urged the county to mandate highly visible letter grades for restaurants. However, a key vote against consumer transparency at that time involved current First District Supervisor Janet Nguyen. According to public information, Nguyen defended restaurant owners against public grading while, it was later revealed, actively concealing a significant conflict of interest. Her husband, Thomas Bonikowski, and her chief of staff—the now-convicted former supervisor Andrew Do—were reportedly hidden co-owners of a Lee’s Sandwiches franchise in Stanton. This specific establishment was noted to have an “atrocious health violation record,” which advocates suggest disincentivized Nguyen from supporting open inspection metrics. Public records also showed Nguyen received campaign contributions from local restaurant owners with documented poor health inspection records.
With Andrew Do currently serving a federal prison sentence for public corruption and bribery, advocates are urging the current Board of Supervisors to distance itself from this legacy by prioritizing public safety.
The failure to implement transparent letter grade ratings is said to have direct impacts on human health. Reports indicate a steady escalation of foodborne illnesses from pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and Norovirus. Restaurants operating with subpar sanitation practices, improper holding temperatures, and unhygienic food preparation spaces are identified as potential breeding grounds for these preventable diseases.
A visible letter grade posted in a storefront window is seen as an immediate deterrent to negligence, encouraging restaurant management to maintain basic compliance. Data from neighboring counties reportedly demonstrates that the introduction of mandatory letter grades rapidly compels restaurants to improve cleanliness, leading to a measurable decrease in local foodborne illness hospitalizations. Orange County residents, advocates say, deserve the same level of public health security enjoyed by diners in surrounding areas.
The current Board of Supervisors possesses the legislative authority to pass a consumer protection ordinance to implement these ratings. Constituents are being urged to contact their representatives to demand a vote on enforcing mandatory, visible letter grade health ratings.
