Upstein Food Court received an A grade in mid-November after failing an Oct. 21 health inspection, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Upstein’s initial failure was primarily the result of issues with the placement of structural elements such as doors and walls, although it was also cited for food being unprotected from potential contamination. The food court received 40 points — 13 more than needed to receive a C, the worst grade possible — due to these issues.
In a comment sent to WSN on Oct. 31, NYU spokesperson John Beckman and Associate Vice President of Campus Services Owen Moore said the failure caught them off guard and that NYU would work to resolve the issue.
“This was a bit of a surprise to us as these doors and walls have been there for some 20 years, and Upstein has been inspected many times during that period,” Beckman and Moore said. “Nevertheless, we are working to make the adjustments the Health Department wants.”
Based on a Nov. 14 inspection, efforts to address the problems cited were successful, with Upstein receiving a four-point A. Currently, the only violation mentioned has to do with plumbing.
“We were very heartened to see that the issues in the first inspection were addressed and that the Department of Health saw fit to maintain Upstein’s ‘A’ rating,” Moore said in a statement to WSN. “Students should know that the food they’re being served in the dining halls is prepared with the utmost care. We’ll continue to partner with our new dining services provider, Chartwells, to ensure that the ratings we receive continue to reflect our high standards.”
A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Dec. 2, 2019 print edition. Email Victor Porcelli at [email protected].