Queens, NY — Paris Baguette, located at 40-22 82nd Street in Elmhurst, Queens, received a score of 40 during a health inspection conducted on March 19, 2026, placing the bakery in Grade C territory under New York City's restaurant grading system. Records were released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) on March 24, 2026.
The inspection identified one non-critical violation at the establishment, which specializes in bakery products and desserts.
What Inspectors Found
Inspectors documented a single violation under Code 09C, pertaining to the design, construction, materials, or maintenance of a food contact surface. Specifically, the surface in question was found to be not easily cleanable, sanitized, or maintained.
Food contact surfaces — any equipment or material that directly touches food during preparation, service, or storage — are subject to strict standards under both the NYC Health Code and the FDA Food Code. The concern with improperly maintained food contact surfaces is the potential for bacterial accumulation or cross-contamination if cleaning and sanitation protocols cannot be effectively applied.
The violation recorded at Paris Baguette was classified as non-critical, meaning it does not present an immediate health hazard in the way that critical violations — such as improper temperature control or evidence of pests — typically do. Nonetheless, under the DOHMH's scoring methodology, non-critical violations carry point values that contribute to a restaurant's overall score.
Food Safety Context
New York City's restaurant inspection program operates under NYC Health Code Article 81, which establishes food safety requirements for all permitted food service establishments. The DOHMH conducts unannounced inspections and assigns point-based scores, with lower scores reflecting better compliance.
The FDA Food Code, which informs many local health codes including New York City's, sets standards for food contact surface construction and maintenance under Section 4-101, requiring that materials be smooth, durable, and capable of withstanding repeated cleaning and sanitizing. Code 09C violations signal that a surface does not meet these baseline requirements.
Restaurants are generally required to address cited violations before or at the time of a reinspection. Non-critical violations that are corrected on-site during the inspection may still be recorded but can influence whether a violation is weighted in the final score.
Inspection History
The March 19, 2026 inspection represents a significant change from the establishment's most recent prior grade. The following is a summary of Paris Baguette's documented inspection record at this location:
- 2025-02-21: Score 13 (Grade A)
- 2024-09-05: Score 22 (Grade B)
- 2024-08-05: Score 86
The August 2024 score of 86 is notably high, indicating a substantially greater number of violations at that time. The subsequent Grade B in September 2024 and Grade A in February 2025 reflected meaningful improvement. The current score of 40, documented approximately 13 months after the Grade A inspection, marks a reversal of that trend.
DOHMH inspection data is released on a rolling basis and may not reflect inspections conducted within the most recent five days. The data cited in this article was released March 24, 2026, five days after the inspection was conducted.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City assigns letter grades to restaurants based on their inspection scores. The grading scale is as follows:
- Grade A: Score of 0–13 points (fewest violations)
- Grade B: Score of 14–27 points
- Grade C: Score of 28 or more points (most violations)
Restaurants that receive a score above 13 on an initial inspection are subject to a reinspection. At reinspection, the score earned determines the final posted grade. Establishments are required to publicly post their grade card or, if a grade card has not yet been issued, a grade pending card.
Consumers can review current and historical inspection records for any permitted restaurant in New York City through the DOHMH's online Restaurant Inspection Results database at the NYC Open Data portal.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Paris Baguette including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.