Winthrop Board of Health to Begin Restaurant Letter Grading After Year Delay

WINTHROP -- January 13, 2026, Winthrop Board of Health clears path for restaurant letter-grade posting after a 19-month delay. The board agreed at its January 13 meeting to a roughly 90-day public awareness push before inspectors begin assigning A, B, or C grades to food establishments, a regulation passed in June 2024 that was never enforced. Commissioner of Inspectional Services Al, speaking alongside board member Christine and restaurant owner Sharon, confirmed the grades reflect food safety protocol, not food quality, with restaurants entitled to two free re-inspections before any below-A grade must appear in a window. Christine pressed an unresolved question about municipal liability, specifically whether the town could be sued by a patron who suffered a foodborne illness during the period when grades were legally required but never posted, and said neither the town manager nor the town attorney had provided a direct answer; the board pledged to get a response within days. Outreach is to be coordinated through the town manager's blog, town social media, and the local chamber of commerce.