New York, NY — Four restaurants across Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island were cleared to reopen on March 26, 2026, after passing reinspections conducted by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The establishments had previously been ordered closed following violations identified during earlier inspections. Their average score on reinspection was 2.3, well within the range required to resume operations.
The Inspections
In Brooklyn's Boerum Hill neighborhood, Brooklyn Roasting Company at 1 University Plaza received a score of 0 with no violations documented during its reinspection. A perfect score indicates that inspectors found no conditions in violation of NYC Health Code Article 81 at the time of the visit. The coffee and tea destination was cleared to reopen with a clean slate.
Also in Brooklyn, Grand Morelos at 727 Grand Street in Williamsburg earned a score of 6 upon reinspection. Inspectors documented one violation related to food, supplies, or equipment not being adequately protected from potential sources of contamination during storage, preparation, or transport. Under NYC's grading system, a score of 6 falls comfortably within the A-grade range, and the Latin American restaurant was permitted to resume service.
In Queens, 101 Apizza at 127-26 101st Avenue in South Richmond Hill returned to operation with a score of 3. The single violation on record involved a non-food contact surface or equipment made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed. This category of violation, while notable, does not directly involve food handling and is among the lower-weight citations under the city's scoring methodology. The pizzeria's reinspection score places it solidly in A-grade territory.
On Staten Island, Tokyo Sushi Japanese Restaurant at 1710 Victory Boulevard received a score of 0 with no violations documented. Like Brooklyn Roasting Company, the Japanese restaurant passed its reinspection without any cited conditions, and its grade is listed as Pending — the standard designation applied when a score has not yet been converted to a letter grade on the public-facing record.
Common Patterns
All four restaurants achieved low scores on reinspection, suggesting that the conditions that prompted their original closures were addressed prior to the follow-up visit. Two of the four — Brooklyn Roasting Company and Tokyo Sushi — recorded zero violations, indicating that inspectors found full compliance at the time of review.
The two violations that were documented fell into distinct categories. Grand Morelos's citation addressed contamination risk during storage or preparation, a violation class that typically requires corrective action around food storage practices, container use, or workflow separation. The violation noted at 101 Apizza involved equipment surfaces and materials — a category that typically pertains to shelving, countertops, or equipment that does not come into direct contact with food but must still meet sanitary standards under the FDA Food Code.
Three of the four reopened establishments are in Brooklyn or Queens, reflecting the geographic concentration of NYC's restaurant activity in those boroughs. Cuisine types ranged from coffee and tea to Latin American, pizza, and Japanese — a cross-section consistent with the diversity of New York City's dining landscape.
What This Means for Diners
A restaurant closure by the NYC Department of Health is not a permanent action. When an establishment is ordered closed, it is required to address the cited conditions before a reinspection can be scheduled. The reinspection process is designed to confirm that violations have been corrected and that the location meets minimum standards for safe food service under NYC Health Code Article 81.
Passing a reinspection does not guarantee a letter grade will be posted immediately. Grades labeled "Pending" or "Z" reflect inspections where the grading process is still in progress — either because the score is being reviewed, the restaurant has requested a second inspection, or the grade card has not yet been formally issued. Diners can look up any restaurant's current inspection history, including scores and violation details, through the NYC Department of Health's online restaurant search tool.
It is also worth noting that inspection scores represent a snapshot of conditions on a specific date. Restaurants are inspected on an unannounced basis, and scores can vary between visits depending on staffing, preparation practices, and operational conditions at the time of inspection.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City uses a letter-grade system to summarize inspection results for the public. A score of 0 to 13 earns an A grade, indicating a low number of violations or no violations at all. A score of 14 to 27 results in a B grade, and a score of 28 or higher results in a C grade.
When a restaurant scores in the B or C range on an initial inspection, it has the option to request a second inspection before a grade is posted. This is referred to as a "Grade Pending" period, during which a "Grade Pending" placard is displayed in the window. The final posted grade reflects the better of the two scores in some cases, depending on the inspection cycle.
All four restaurants that reopened on March 26, 2026 scored below 10 on reinspection, placing them well within A-grade range. Diners can verify current grades and full inspection histories at the NYC Department of Health restaurant lookup portal or through third-party platforms that aggregate the department's public data.