Can restaurants open with the "boil water" advisory?

I see the water main break has caused Humana to close this morning. How about any restaurants downtown? Is anybody closing because of the water main break? And does the Health Department close restaurants when there is a water advisory?

We showed up at one of our favorites on Market St last night, and they were closing because of the water issue--not sure if they were forced to, or if the water issue simply made it impractical for them to serve food. They were very apologetic!

And does the Health Department close restaurants when there is a water advisory?

Yes, need to be able to provide proper hand washing facilities, clean water, sewage, etc...

I just spoke directly to the Health Dept. as we are in the "boil" zone. Restaurants can be open, as long as you don't serve fountain drinks, tea, coffee, ice from the onsite ice machine, etc.

We will be open as we have bottled soft drinks and will be purchasing ice and bottled water to serve to customers.

The restriction does not include the restrooms, hand-washing, etc., so the public will still have access to all those things required the the Health Dept.

Regards,
Gena
Come Back Inn, Louisville

Drove by a Heine Brothers just now. It appeared open judging from the illuminated neon signs in the windows. Surprised to see them open.

What about employee hand washing and dish washing? What a mess!

I think the health department should do a news conference to clarify everything. My husband goes to Highland Coffee around 6am every morning and runs into a lot of local restaurant owners. Most of them don't know whether they should open or not.

I was wondering about the dish washing as well.

I just spoke directly to the Health Dept. as we are in the "boil" zone. Restaurants can be open, as long as you don't serve fountain drinks, tea, coffee, ice from the onsite ice machine, etc.

We will be open as we have bottled soft drinks and will be purchasing ice and bottled water to serve to customers.

The restriction does not include the restrooms, hand-washing, etc., so the public will still have access to all those things required the the Health Dept.

Regards,
Gena
Come Back Inn, Louisville

Interesting, I stand corrected
Hope this has not hurt you all to bad

....no coffee before post = do not post !

I wouldn't think it would be an issue.
Dish machines have 3 different powerful chemicals that are used for every run. Soap is located at all hand washing stations

For hand washing dishes/ pots and pans food service establishments must set up a 3 compartment sink system. Wash--->Rinse--->Sanitize. Then items must be air dried. The sanitizing solution at proper concentration will take care of any micro organisms.

Machines must either be low temperature sanitizing which involves the addition of a sanitizing solution. Or they can be high heat sanitizing which involves a final rinse of temperatures above 180 but below 195 or so. Again, dishes must be air dried.

Foodservice establishments are able to operate their dish areas during a boil water advisory providing that any of the above systems are in use.

I had lunch at the Pub on 4th Street today. They were serving with plastic utensils and cups and styrofoam plates. Many places were closed though, and coffee is almost impossible to get anywhere downtown right now.

[Robin Garr]

... coffee is almost impossible to get anywhere downtown right now.

Fantastic opportunity for a roving coffee truck!

Odd that coffee is out, don't you brew it with extremely hot water (hence the "boil" advisory?)

Odd that coffee is out, don't you brew it with extremely hot water (hence the "boil" advisory?)

The requirement is to boil it for 3-5 minutes which obviously is not achieved in a coffee maker! We were at Norton hospital downtown today and they had a set up that allow them to use 5 gallon jugs of bottled water in the coffee maker system

Moreover, coffee brewed at boiling temps will be over-extracted and bitter tasting. Proper brewing temp is usually in the 200-205 range. And considering most shops use brewers and espresso machines that have a direct feed water line, it'd be impossible to boil the water properly before brewing.