SF Haight Cafe Gets Conditional Pass Despite Minor Issues

A popular Haight-Ashbury cafe received a conditional pass on its health inspection Monday evening, with inspectors identifying several minor violations that require correction but do not pose immediate health risks to customers. Sunny Country Foods at 1101 Stanyan Street underwent a routine inspection from 5:15 PM to 6:00 PM on November 18, during which health officials documented four violations - three major and one minor. Despite these findings, the establishment remains open and operational while addressing the inspector's concerns. The inspection revealed that the restaurant can continue serving customers safely while working to correct maintenance and procedural issues identified during the visit. The conditional pass designation allows businesses to remain operational when violations are correctable and do not present immediate health dangers.

Inspection Details

Health inspector findings centered on facility maintenance and food handling procedures rather than food safety concerns. The most significant issue involved missing paper towels at the rear handwashing sink, which prevents proper hand hygiene protocols. California Retail Food Code requires all handwashing stations to be fully stocked with soap, paper towels, and warm water at all times. Equipment violations included bare wood shelving in the rear facility area that lacks proper sealing to make surfaces non-absorbent and easily cleanable. Inspectors also noted cardboard being used as shelf liner, which must be replaced with approved cleanable thick plastic materials. The cafe's bagel display presented a food labeling issue, with bagged bagels on the sales floor lacking required Sherman Law labeling. The inspector recommended either providing compliant labels with product name, weight, ingredients, and production location, or storing items behind the counter for customer inquiries. A plumbing concern involved the refrigerator's condensate line draining to a floor pan instead of connecting to the sanitary sewer system. The inspector advised either rerouting the line with proper air gap clearance or installing NSF-approved evaporation equipment.

Facility Background

Located near the N-Judah line and Cole Valley, Sunny Country Foods serves the diverse Haight-Ashbury community as a neighborhood gathering spot. The establishment operates under permit holder Qare Fairouz N and can be reached at (415) 566-2511. This inspection represents the first documented health department visit for the facility in available records, providing a baseline for future compliance monitoring. The lack of previous inspection history suggests either recent opening or successful maintenance of health department standards.

Correction Timeline

The conditional pass status requires the restaurant to address all cited violations promptly while maintaining current operations. Health department officials typically allow reasonable timeframes for corrections, particularly for maintenance issues requiring contractor work like plumbing modifications. Restaurant management must ensure immediate compliance with handwashing station requirements while developing plans for equipment and facility improvements. The food labeling issue can be resolved quickly through proper signage or product repositioning. Follow-up inspections will verify completion of required corrections, with the goal of achieving full compliance status. The restaurant's ability to continue serving customers during this corrective period demonstrates the non-critical nature of violations found. Staff Reporter at SF Restaurant Inspections