Manhattan, NY — Jaya Restaurant, a Spanish cuisine establishment located at 79 Audubon Avenue in the Washington Heights neighborhood, was closed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) following a routine inspection on January 5, 2026. The restaurant received a score of 50, placing it well above the 28-point threshold for a Grade C designation.
The closure was part of the DOHMH's standard enforcement protocol, which authorizes inspectors to close establishments when conditions warrant immediate action. The restaurant subsequently reopened two days later after a reinspection.
What Inspectors Found
During the January 5 inspection, inspectors cited one non-critical violation at Jaya Restaurant:
- No contract with a pest management professional in place, and no record of extermination activities kept on premises (Violation Code 28-06).
Under NYC health inspection protocols, restaurants are required to maintain an active agreement with a licensed pest management provider and to keep documentation of all pest control activities on-site and available for inspector review. The absence of these records indicates that the establishment could not demonstrate an active pest management program at the time of inspection.
It is worth noting that the recorded score of 50 with only one documented non-critical violation suggests that additional conditions observed during the inspection may have contributed to the overall score and the decision to close the establishment. Inspection scores are calculated based on a point system in which each violation carries a specific weight depending on its severity, and the cumulative total determines the final score.
The DOHMH ordered the establishment closed, and violations requiring immediate action were addressed before the restaurant was permitted to resume operations.
Food Safety Context
The closure of a food service establishment is one of the most significant enforcement actions available to the DOHMH under NYC Health Code Article 81, which governs the operation of food service establishments throughout the five boroughs. Inspectors have the authority to order an immediate closure when they identify conditions that may pose a risk to public health.
Pest management is a foundational element of food safety operations. The FDA Food Code recommends that food establishments implement an integrated pest management program that includes regular inspections by licensed professionals, proper documentation, and proactive measures to prevent pest activity. In New York City, maintaining a pest management contract and keeping records of extermination activities is a regulatory requirement, not merely a best practice.
When a restaurant is ordered closed, it must correct all cited violations and pass a reinspection before it can reopen to the public. This process ensures that conditions identified during the initial inspection have been adequately addressed.
Inspection History
Jaya Restaurant's recent inspection record shows a rapid correction following the closure:
- Jan 5, 2026: Score 50 (Grade C range), closed by DOHMH
- Jan 7, 2026: Score 2 (Grade A range), reopened
The reinspection conducted on January 7, 2026 — just two days after the closure — resulted in a score of 2, which falls well within the Grade A range of 0 to 13 points. This significant improvement indicates that the restaurant took prompt corrective action to address the conditions identified during the initial inspection.
It should be noted that this inspection data was released by the DOHMH on February 6, 2026, approximately one month after the inspections took place. There may be a delay between when inspections are conducted and when the results are published in the city's public database.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by the DOHMH, assigns letter grades based on the total violation points accumulated during an inspection. Fewer points indicate better compliance with health and safety regulations:
- Grade A: 0–13 points
- Grade B: 14–27 points
- Grade C: 28 or more points
A score of 50, as recorded during Jaya Restaurant's January 5 inspection, falls into the Grade C category. However, the restaurant's subsequent reinspection score of 2 demonstrates the capacity for rapid compliance when issues are addressed.
Restaurants that receive a Grade C on an initial inspection are entitled to a reinspection, and the grade posted publicly is typically based on the better of the two scores within an inspection cycle.
Consumers can look up any restaurant's inspection history through the DOHMH's publicly accessible database or by visiting NYCRestaurantInspections.com. All inspection data referenced in this article is sourced from official DOHMH public records and is provided for informational purposes.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Jaya Restaurant including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.