Corpus Christi City Council has approved new food establishment fees, including a reinspection cost that will rise 300% — but at least one local restaurant owner says the increase is about keeping food safe and businesses accountable.
City council documents show the reinspection fee will increase from $50 to $200. The city adopted the maximum allowable fees under state law to recover the cost of administering the program. The new fees took effect March 2.
: Corpus Christi restaurant inspection fees rise 300%, but one owner says it’s necessary
Matthew De Shields, owner of The Bar-B-Q Man Restaurant and Catering and chair of the Coastal Bend Chapter of the Texas Restaurant Association, wrote a letter thanking Dr. Anita Kurian and the health department for working with local restaurants on the change.
“So they raised the fees to the maximum. And whenever that came out we said hey we need to sit down and look this over because it’s not feasible for restaurants,” De Shields said…