Brooklyn, NY — Crown Fried Chicken & Pizza, located at 1263 Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn, was closed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) following an inspection conducted on May 7, 2026. Inspectors assigned a score of 55 points, placing the establishment in the C-grade range under the city's restaurant grading system. The inspection data was released publicly by DOHMH on May 13, 2026.

The closure was ordered after at least one violation requiring immediate action was identified during the visit. According to DOHMH records, the restaurant will remain closed until it can demonstrate compliance with applicable health and safety standards.

What Inspectors Found

The May 7, 2026 inspection recorded one non-critical violation:

  • Code 08A: The establishment was not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects, or other pests.

Code 08A addresses the physical condition of a facility — including gaps in walls, flooring, or infrastructure — that could allow or encourage pest activity. While this violation was classified as non-critical, meaning it does not pose an immediate direct threat to food safety in the way that temperature or contamination violations do, its presence contributed to a score high enough to trigger closure. DOHMH noted that violations requiring immediate action were addressed on-site during the inspection.

No critical violations — those tied to food handling, contamination, or disease transmission risk — were cited during this visit.

Food Safety Context

New York City's restaurant inspection program operates under NYC Health Code Article 81, which establishes standards for food handling, facility maintenance, sanitation, and pest control. The program is also guided by principles drawn from the FDA Food Code, a federal reference document that forms the basis for many state and local food safety regulations.

Under Article 81, establishments are required to maintain their premises in a condition that prevents pest access and harborage. Section 81.22 specifically addresses pest control, requiring that food service establishments be kept free from insects, rodents, and other pests through regular monitoring, sanitation, and structural maintenance.

A score of 55 points is well above the threshold for a C grade, which begins at 28 points. Scores in this range typically reflect multiple or significant violations observed during the inspection. When inspectors determine that violations require immediate corrective action — including conditions that could facilitate a pest presence — DOHMH has authority under Article 81 to order an establishment closed until those conditions are remediated and the facility passes a reinspection.

Inspection History

Crown Fried Chicken & Pizza has recorded a series of poor inspection results over the past several months. The facility's recent inspection history is as follows:

  • May 7, 2026: Score 55, closed by DOHMH
  • December 22, 2025: Score 28 (Grade Z)
  • December 01, 2025: Score 38

The December 2025 inspections reflect a period of repeated substandard performance. A score of 38 in early December, followed by a score of 28 later that same month, indicates the facility had ongoing compliance challenges heading into 2026. The current inspection score of 55 represents a significant increase from those prior results.

A "Grade Z" designation is issued when an establishment scores in the C range (28 or more points) but is undergoing reinspection or adjudication. It is a placeholder grade posted while the process proceeds, rather than a final letter grade.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City requires most food service establishments to post their letter grade in a visible location near the entrance. Grades are determined by the score received during an inspection:

  • A: 0–13 points (satisfactory)
  • B: 14–27 points (needs improvement)
  • C: 28 or more points (poor)

Lower scores reflect fewer or less severe violations. A score of zero would indicate no violations were found. Establishments that receive a B or C on an initial inspection may request a reinspection, at which point the lower of the two scores is used to determine the posted grade.

When a closure is ordered, the restaurant is not assigned a grade until it passes a compliance inspection. The establishment may reopen once DOHMH determines that the conditions leading to closure have been corrected.

Consumers can look up inspection records for any city restaurant through the NYC DOHMH Restaurant Inspection Results database, available at the NYC Open Data portal. Records include inspection dates, scores, violation codes, and grade history for each establishment. The database is updated regularly as new inspection data becomes available.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Crown Fried Chicken & Pizza including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.