About Colorado Restaurant Consulting

My name is Jim Austin and I am a food safety consultant based  in Denver, Colorado.  I hold both undergraduate and graduate degrees and directed the City and County of Denver retail food inspection program from 1992 – 1999. Since 2001 I have served Colorado restaurants with expert assistance in dealing with health department requirements.

How You Save Money

• Have you had your store opening delayed due to unforeseen health department requirements and lost a huge sum?  Have you purchased a piece of equipment, only to have it rejected by the health department? These unwelcome surprises can be avoided.
• Repeated critical violations can result in costly enforcement actions, so don’t waste your money. On average, over 250 restaurants are subjected to fines every year in Colorado for retail food violations. Civil penalties range from $250 to $2,000 each.
• Avoid the embarrassment and cost of unnecessary food losses.  Inspectors frequently condemn food products that are unwholesome, often due to being held at improper temperatures…this happens far more often than you may think.
• The average cost of a food borne illness outbreak to a restaurant is $76,000, according to estimates by the National Restaurant Association. If an outbreak occurs, it can take years to recover.
• Avoid loss of revenue from negative publicity. The City and County of Denver requires that certain enforcement actions be posted in a prominent public place on your premises, plus most Colorado local health departments post inspections on their websites for free public viewing.

Why Use My Services?

• I am a former local health department manager, and I know how the world of Colorado retail food regulation really works.
• I have helped restaurants deal successfully with the health department, including navigating the enforcement process and regaining their good standing.
• Learn how to see through the eyes of the health department.  Identify and correct problems BEFORE your next inspection.
• Learn to communicate confidently with your health inspector – you can be prepared and ready.

Recent Blog Posts

• What’s the REAL PURPOSE of an Inspection?
  Have you ever wondered about that?  What’s an inspection really all about? Answer:  An inspection is for the purpose of of ensuring that you comply with the rules, according to the Colorado Food …
• Employee Drinking Violation (REPOST)
  This server didn’t know the inspector was present – whoops!  Health inspectors knows that folks misbehave from time to time, but don’t do this! This is a “hygienic practices” critical violation in Col …
• Dealing With Difficult Health Inspections
  I want to focus on just one issue in this post.  It is not unusual for inspectors to go beyond the scope of their regulations, or to ask for compliance with requests that are not actually required.  O …