Failed a Health Inspection? What to Do Next

What Happens If a Restaurant Fails a Health Inspection?

“Failure” isn’t always as black-and-white as it sounds. In Texas, for example, inspections typically result in a grade based on how well your operation complies with public health regulations. That grade takes into account everything from time and temperature control to sanitation practices, cross-contamination risks, and equipment maintenance.

Each violation carries a certain weight. Some are considered minor and may be marked as "corrected on site," while others—like repeat violations or serious threats to food safety—can drop your score significantly. Depending on your total score, you might walk away with a B or C grade and a list of required fixes, or in more serious cases, face a temporary closure until those problems are resolved.

A failed inspection, then, exists on a spectrum:

• You may be allowed to remain open but must address violations within a tight window (typically 7–14 days).
• Or you might be required to close until the most serious violations are corrected and approved during re-inspection.

Regardless of the severity, the steps you take after the inspection are what matter most.

Why Restaurants Fail Health Inspections

While violations can vary from place to place, we spoke with a health inspector here in Texas who noted that one of the most common causes of low scores is poor time and temperature control. If cold foods aren’t held at or below 41°F—or if hot foods dip below 135°F—they can become breeding grounds for harmful bacteria. These issues often happen quietly behind the scenes but pose serious food safety risks.

Other red flags that frequently lead to trouble include:

• Cross-contamination between raw meats and ready-to-eat foods
• Inadequate handwashing by employees
• Improper food storage methods
• Lapses in cleaning and sanitization routines

The goal of an inspection isn’t just to “pass.” It’s to ensure your kitchen is operating in a way that keeps guests safe—and keeps your doors open.

What to Do After a Poor or Failed Health Inspection

Let’s say your inspection results weren’t great. Maybe you received a B grade with several violations to address. Or maybe your operation was shut down due to critical issues. What now?

Start with the Report

You’ll receive a detailed inspection report, typically based on your state or county’s official form—like the Texas DSHS Inspection Form. This document outlines everything the inspector observed, including what was in compliance, what was corrected on site, and what still needs to be addressed.

Use this report as your roadmap. It will tell you what went wrong and where your focus needs to be.

Speak with the Inspector

Your health inspector isn’t just there to penalize you. They’re also there to help you succeed. After the inspection, they’ll usually sit down with the manager or person in charge to walk through each violation and explain what needs to be corrected. 

This is your chance to ask questions:

• What exactly was the issue?
• What does compliance look like in this situation?
• What’s the expected timeline for correction?

Having a clear understanding of what went wrong sets you up to do the work of fixing it—and prevents the same issues from recurring later.

Building a Corrective Action Plan

Once you understand your violations, it’s time to create a Corrective Action Plan (CAP). In Texas, this plan should be developed by the person in charge, with support from the health inspector. It’s not just about checking a box—it’s a structured approach to preventing those issues from happening again.

Here’s how to build an effective CAP.

1. Identify the Violation
   Start with the inspection report and zero in on each issue flagged.
2. Understand the Requirement
   Dig into the relevant health codes or talk with your inspector to understand what needs to change.
3. Develop a Solution
   This might involve retraining staff, repairing equipment, reorganizing storage, or implementing new processes.
4. Train Your Team
   Once the solution is in place, your staff needs to understand the new standard and how to meet it. Make food safety a shared responsibility.
5. Monitor the Fix
   Set a schedule to monitor the new processes and determine how well they are working. In the short term, you may need daily checks. Long-term, depending on what you’re monitoring, a weekly or monthly schedule may be sufficient. Work with your local health inspector to determine the frequency of the checks.
6. Document Everything
   Create logs to track compliance. These logs may include:
   
   • A schedule for changing cutting boards every few hours
   • Refrigerator temperature checks
   • Food hot-holding or cold-holding temperature checks
   • Daily cleaning routines
   • Receiving temperatures
   • Cooking temperatures  
     
   Not only does documentation keep you organized—it can also demonstrate your commitment to compliance during re-inspection. 

You can also reference Texas’s own Corrective Action Plan Guidelines for specific documentation examples and expectations. .

Preparing for Re-Inspection

Your inspector will return—usually within 7 to 14 days—to reassess your facility. This isn’t the time to cross your fingers. It’s time to get proactive.

Your Re-Inspection Prep Plan:

Review your inspection report again. Walk through each violation and confirm the corrective action is not only in place but being followed correctly. Conduct a mock inspection, involve your team in a walkthrough, and make sure logs and records are current and complete.

Most importantly, treat this process as a long-term investment. Food safety compliance isn’t a one-time sprint—it’s an everyday commitment to doing things right.

Rebuilding Trust with Compliance

Whether your inspection resulted in a C grade or a temporary closure, the recovery process follows the same essential steps. The difference lies in urgency and scope. A single violation may be simple to correct; a shutdown may require a more intensive overhaul. But the foundation remains the same: learn what went wrong, fix it the right way, and build systems to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

And if you’re looking for an edge when it comes to training staff on food safety best practices, we can help.