Manhattan, NY — Bazu! By Superwow Coffee, a coffee and tea shop located at 41 Division Street in Manhattan's Lower East Side, received a Grade C following a health inspection conducted March 17, 2026. Inspectors recorded a score of 40, placing the establishment in the city's lowest public grade category. The findings were released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) on March 20, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

The inspection documented one critical violation under Code 06C, which addresses the protection of food, supplies, and equipment from potential sources of contamination. Specifically, inspectors cited the establishment for failing to offer condiments in single-service containers or dispense them directly by the vendor — conditions that can expose food items to contamination from customer handling.

No non-critical violations were recorded during this inspection.

While a single violation may appear limited in scope, critical violations carry significant weight in NYC's inspection scoring system. Critical violations are those most directly linked to foodborne illness risk, and each carries a higher point value than non-critical violations in the DOHMH scoring rubric.

Food Safety Context

The violation identified at Bazu! By Superwow Coffee falls under NYC Health Code Article 81, which governs food preparation and protection standards for all food service establishments in the city. The requirement that condiments be served in single-use containers or dispensed directly by staff is designed to prevent cross-contamination — a scenario in which a shared condiment container, handled repeatedly by customers, becomes a transmission vector for pathogens.

This standard is also reflected in the FDA Food Code, which recommends that condiments be provided in individual packages, in dispensers, or in protected containers to minimize the risk of contamination between customers. The requirement is particularly relevant in high-traffic service environments where shared items change hands frequently.

Foodborne illness outbreaks linked to improperly handled condiments and shared food contact surfaces have been documented nationally, making this category of violation a consistent focus of health inspectors in New York City and other urban jurisdictions.

Inspection History

The March 2026 inspection was not the first time Bazu! By Superwow Coffee received a below-average score. According to DOHMH records, the establishment's recent inspection history includes:

  • January 27, 2026: Score 33 (Grade N)
  • March 17, 2026: Score 40 (Grade C)

A Grade N designation — assigned during the January inspection — indicates the restaurant was in its initial or re-inspection cycle and had not yet been graded. The subsequent March inspection resulted in a formal Grade C assignment. The increase in score from 33 to 40 between inspections indicates the contamination protection issue was not resolved following the earlier visit.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City uses a letter grade system to communicate inspection results to the public. Grades are calculated based on point totals, with higher scores reflecting more or more severe violations:

  • A: Score of 0–13 points (lowest risk)
  • B: Score of 14–27 points (moderate risk)
  • C: Score of 28 or more points (highest risk)

Restaurants are required to post their most recent grade card in a window or door visible to the public. A Grade C indicates that inspectors identified conditions that represent a greater potential risk to food safety than those found in A- or B-graded establishments.

Establishments that receive a Grade C may request a re-inspection, at which point a new score and grade will be assigned based on conditions at the time of that visit.

Additional Resources

Members of the public can view full inspection records, including violation details and historical scores, through the DOHMH's NYC Restaurant Inspection Results database, available through NYC Open Data. Complaints about food service establishments can be submitted to 311 or through the NYC Health Department's online portal.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Bazu! By Superwow Coffee including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.