Manhattan, NY — Ipizza, a pizza restaurant located at 746 9th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, received a score of 31 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on February 11, 2026. The score places the establishment in Grade C territory, the lowest passing grade in the city's restaurant grading system.

The inspection identified one critical violation and no non-critical violations. The inspection data was released by DOHMH on February 13, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

The single violation cited during the inspection was classified as critical under DOHMH guidelines. Inspectors documented that no manager or supervisor of food operations held a valid Food Protection Certificate (FPC).

Under NYC Health Code Article 81, every food service establishment is required to have at least one supervisory employee on duty who holds a valid Food Protection Certificate issued by DOHMH. This certificate is earned by completing a DOHMH-approved food protection course and passing an examination that covers safe food handling, temperature control, cross-contamination prevention, pest management, and personal hygiene practices.

The absence of a certified food safety manager is classified as a critical violation because it removes a key layer of oversight designed to prevent foodborne illness. A certified manager is trained to identify and correct unsafe food handling practices in real time, serving as a frontline defense against contamination risks in a commercial kitchen.

Food Safety Context

The Food Protection Certificate requirement is codified in Section 81.15 of the NYC Health Code and aligns with recommendations in the FDA Food Code, which emphasizes the importance of a Person in Charge with demonstrated knowledge of food safety principles at every food establishment.

The FPC requirement exists because research consistently shows that restaurants with certified food safety managers have lower rates of critical violations and foodborne illness outbreaks. The certificate holder is responsible for ensuring that food is stored, prepared, and served at proper temperatures, that employees follow handwashing protocols, and that the establishment maintains sanitary conditions.

While Ipizza's inspection resulted in only one violation, its classification as critical carried significant weight in the scoring. DOHMH assigns point values to violations based on their potential impact on public health, and critical violations related to food safety oversight receive higher point assessments than many other individual violations.

The action recorded for this inspection was that violations were cited. No closure was ordered at the time of the inspection.

Inspection History

No prior inspection history is available for Ipizza in the DOHMH public database. This may indicate that the February 11, 2026 inspection was the restaurant's initial inspection, or that the establishment operates under a recently issued permit.

For newly inspected restaurants, DOHMH typically conducts an initial inspection and, if the score falls in the B or C range, offers a re-inspection within a defined window. The restaurant's grade is not posted until after the re-inspection cycle is complete, giving the establishment an opportunity to correct violations and potentially achieve a better score.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by DOHMH, assigns letter grades based on the total number of violation points accumulated during an inspection:

  • Grade A: 0 to 13 points — indicates strong compliance with food safety regulations
  • Grade B: 14 to 27 points — indicates moderate violations requiring correction
  • Grade C: 28 or more points — indicates significant violations that pose higher food safety risk

Ipizza's score of 31 falls into the Grade C range. Restaurants receiving a Grade B or C on an initial inspection are entitled to a re-inspection, and the posted grade reflects the better of the two scores.

All NYC restaurant inspection results, including violation details and scores, are public record and available through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database. Consumers can search for any licensed food establishment in the five boroughs to review current grades and full inspection histories.

For more information about NYC restaurant grades and food safety standards, residents can visit the DOHMH website or call 311.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Ipizza including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.