Don't Drink the Water at Memphis

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 10:48am

Broadway theater concessions are now getting graded by the Dept. of Health just like restaurants do.

The Shubert got a "grade pending" which means they found something not so good. (I personally think grade pending means they didn't sufficiently bribe the health inspector)

But the question is: Do Broadway concession stands need to be graded?
Link

[Kad]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:13am

Having worked at a Broadway concessions stand, I really don't see how you can't keep it clean.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:15am

Goth just doesn't like it because white and black people can drink from the same faucets.

[shrekster224]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:18am

This is racist!

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:22am

So what does this have to do with the water? Water at the stands is bottled.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:26am

He's talking about those interracial water fountains.

[Barcelona]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:38am

I'm surprised that they JUST started grading them...

[Unknown User]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:52am

I found the Memphis production of Don't Drink the Water to be another show ruined by colorblind casting. A black Kosher caterer in cold-war era New Jersey? Hardly. And Walter is black , Marion is Jewish and they have a blond daughter? Gregor Mendl is rolling over in his grave. Jaystarr rating 3 out of 10.

[ahhrealmonsters]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:53am

There isn't any kitchen... All of the food is packaged.. The only thing that's "prepared" is the drinks... Not exactly sure how ginger ale and M&Ms can be unsanitary... I probably should never work in the food industry.

[spike3]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 12:06pm

The bars/concession stands in theatres have always been inspected, this is nothing new. The grading system is new to the city of NY. Yes, water sold at these bars is bottled. And all food sold is pre -packaged. The problem at the Shubert is mice and open bait containers. I am not making excuses for the bar at the Shubert-with the amount of violation points it has it would receive a B grade ,but the majority of the theatres have mice and roaches. It is up to the bar mgr and staff to ensure that the vermin problem stays well away from the bar, and storage areas.
The majority of problems at bars in theatres (as far as board of health is concerned)is mold in ice machines, dirty bars, and unsanitary conditions. If you have a manager and staff who are on top of things, all of the above can easily be avoided. Not having a sink or running water behind a bar is a no brainer. Portable bars are useless.
Having said the above , some problems cannot be avoided, but the bar is fined none the less. No hot water in bathrooms, no soap in bathrooms, no handwash signs in bathrooms, the concession company has nothing to do with that. Remember, the concession company doesnt own the theatre, they just rent space.
One last thing, Theatre Refreshment Company of NY, post your grades behind the bars, and get staff, ie:mgrs-that know what they are doing and how to do it, so fines can be avoided.And keep the company mouthpiece quiet, comments like hers made in Variety dont help the situation.

[spike3]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 2:15pm

nmi

[broadwaybabytn]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 5:27pm

Worst Woody Allen play of all time. And community theater in Memphis?? Don'tget me started on the awful casting. They had a BLACK STANLEY in Streetcar a few years ago!! Oh, the horror!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 5:40pm

The bar at the Ambassador Theatre was shut down a few years ago because of a bad health inspection. I forget the specific reasons, but I remember when it happened.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 5:46pm

They tried to shut down CHICAGO but the concession stand was the best they could do.

[spike3]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 7:52pm

yes the Dept of Health shut the bars down at the Ambassador a few years ago. Bars were shut down due to vermin, filth, and general unsanitary conditions. And they were shut immediatly. They were closed until the Dept of Health deemed it clean enough to re-open.I believe it was almost 1 week that they were closed. That was a very rare and extreme case

[Okayfine]

Posted: 6/21/11 at 11:58pm

Just to add to spike3's very knowldgeable post, there are many reasons to fine a theatre bar. "Marrying" wine (pouring wine from one half-filled bottle into another), letting non-staff serve at the bar, mildew in the guns, etc. As with any food establishment, there are tons of infractons possible, but all are avoidable. One of the TR bars had gnats in the wine & was fined for that (several years ago). How does this happen??

TR's problem is that they fired all of the experienced managers & replaced them with inexperienced, very young people they could get for cheapies.

[alliez92092]

Posted: 6/22/11 at 8:26am

Maybe if the concession stands keep getting bad grades they'll be forced to stop selling food and drinks and then we won't have to deal with audience members slurping and chewing away during a performance.

[best12bars]

Posted: 6/22/11 at 8:37am

It isn't often the food or drink itself that gets the bad grade, but rather the conditions in which they are kept.

If it isn't properly stored, or if food is sitting too close to cleaning products deemed poisonous, or if dry goods aren't stored 3 inches off the ground, these are all reasons for low marks.

When Los Angeles adopted this public grading system about 15 years ago, it caused a lot of places to shut down for a week or more until they addressed all the issues. It shocked a lot of people and ultimately did a lot of good. But it doesn't necessarily mean their food is "bad." Although they do test that, as well. But it could easily be that the bottled water is sitting too close to the Comet Cleanser. Stuff like that.

And not to gross you out, but rat droppings anywhere in or near a food storage areas is an immediate "F." They would have to shut down until they could prove that the droppings are gone and there are no signs of live or dead vermin anywhere.

Updated On: 6/22/11 at 08:37 AM

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/22/11 at 9:03am

"Maybe if the concession stands keep getting bad grades they'll be forced to stop selling food and drinks and then we won't have to deal with audience members slurping and chewing away during a performance."

Hawkers

[spike3]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 2:43pm

okayfine, you are 100% correct on all your points. Including the mass firing of experienced managers. Marrying liquor is illegal (cross contamination) flies in the liquor, mostly in summer. If Dept of Health sees that, the bottle MUST be poured out in front of them. If DOH not around, well the bug just gets taken out. Below a short list of theatres owned by the Shubert Organization, the bars/concession stands are run by Theatre Refreshment Co of NY. A list of the most recent inspections, unless noted the bars have not been graded yet:
Imperial-6/1/11 - 2 violation pts=Grade A
Cort-6/14/11-5 violation pts= Grade A
Broadhurst-6/16/11 -14 violation pts. No grade yet
Shubert-6/15/11-15 violation pts. Grade pending
Golden-6/7/11- 15 violation pts. No grade yet
Majestic-5/31/11-37 violation pts. No grade yet
Lyceum-5/12/11-56 violation pts. No grade yet
Schoenfeld-6/3/11-82 violation pts. No grade yet.
I believe the Winter Garden also received an A grade.

The grade system is as follows:
0-13 pts A
14-27 pts B
28 or more pts C.
Understand that not all of the above violations could be avoided. But the majority are for mice, roaches and unsanitary conditions.
Updated On: 6/29/11 at 02:43 PM

[spike3]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 2:49pm

just an aside for the above. All bars are entitled to a hearing to challenge citations

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 2:52pm

Vermin is a funny word. (Having to think about or deal with it is not.)

[spike3]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 3:01pm

the contract that Theatre Refreshment Co. of NY has with the Shubert Organization does not prohibit the posting of signs that are required by law. Therefore the grades given to the bars by the Dept of Health can be posted behind the bars where the public can see them.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 3:08pm

Don't they HAVE to hang the sign? (Regardless of what any contract says -- wouldn't the law supercede it?)

[spike3]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 3:23pm

It is NYC law, the grade must be posted so that the public can see it. Failure to do so results in a $1000.00 fine. So yes, because it is the law they have to post it. It is just that in the Variety and NY Daily News articles, a Theatre Refreshment Co. of NY spokesperson, said that they put their grades behind their doors as the contract w/ the Shubert Organization will not allow them to hang signs.
The NYC Dept of Health never gave grades until this past year, so TRC never had to put anything up informing the public the results of the Health Dept inspections. Liquor licenses, Dept of Health certificates-all are already on display behind bars , because they have to be. So that is also why the grades must be posted