How do restaurant inspections work in Whatcom County? Here’s what to know
Wondering about the safest places to eat in the Bellingham area?
Every year, the Whatcom County Health and Community Services inspects about 850 restaurants, coffee shops, bars and other food-serving facilities.
Inspectors are looking for everything from incorrectly cooked meat to a sewage leak or a lack of hot water.
While most eateries in and around Bellingham pass their inspections with few issues, a few have health code violations that require a follow-up, re-inspection or, occasionally, permit suspension.
In 2025, roughly 1% of permits were suspended in Whatcom County, according to Ron Warner, communications specialist for Whatcom County Health and Community Services.
Here’s what to know about restaurant inspections:
How often does Whatcom County inspect restaurants?
How often restaurants are inspected depends on what they serve, Whatcom County health officials said.
For instance, an eatery with a “relatively simple” menu and “minimal on-site, (from)-scratch food preparation” might be inspected once every two years, according to Tom Kunesh, Whatcom County food safety supervisor.
“Those would be establishments such as a movie theater concession stand, a simple coffee drive through stand (or) a Subway sandwich shop,” he explained.
In contrast, full-service restaurants that prepare meals, handle raw ingredients and cook food in large batches are inspected twice a year, Kunesh said.
What do Whatcom County health inspectors look for?
Whatcom County Health and Community Services said it regularly inspects “restaurants, food trucks, coffee shops, bars, grocery stores and more to make sure that food is handled properly so it is safe to eat.”
The Washington State Retail Food Code outlines the rules for safely handling food that’s served to the public.
Examples of high-risk violations, which can contribute directly to foodborne illness, include:
- Cooking meats to the incorrect temperature.
- Not keeping cold food cold enough.
- Food contamination.
- Handwashing.
- Serving food that is not from an approved source.
- Worker health and hygiene.
Low-risk violations related to maintenance and sanitation are “less likely to cause illness,” Whatcom County health officials said, but must also be corrected.
What are the different results restaurants can get during a health inspection?
According to Whatcom County health officials, restaurants and other eateries can fall into the following categories after being inspected:
Approved: The eatery had zero or very few safety violations, and there is no need for follow-up.
Follow-up required: The eatery had some violations but doesn’t need to be re-inspected. Any high-risk violations are corrected right away, and inspectors usually check in with the establishment again within 60 days.
Re-inspection required: The eatery had many high risk or repeat violations. All high-risk violations are corrected immediately. Inspectors increase the frequency of their inspections, and the establishment is re-inspected again within 60 days.
Permit suspension: The eatery was ordered to close immediately on a temporary basis because there was a severe health hazard such an outbreak of illness, sewage backup or lack of water.
When a permit is suspended, the person who operates the establishment must attend a hearing and correct all violations. The establishment must be re-inspected before the permit is reinstated.
What happens if an eatery needs re-inspection?
If an establishment is in need a follow-up or re-inspection, Whatcom County Health and Community Services pays a courtesy visit to the owners, according to Kunesh
During this visit, health officials go through the health codes the eatery violated and explain the steps that can be taken to correct
“It’s a little bit of a complicated process that tries to focus more on education than enforcement,” Kunesh said. “If a restaurant operator has a series of problems, we’ll order immediate correction for everything that can be quickly corrected.”
What are most common issues at Whatcom County restaurants?
According to Kunesh, the most common issues encountered by Whatcom County restaurant inspectors involve food that’s been improperly refrigerated or dated.
Inspectors also occasionally encounter eateries with expired food permits, he said.
Fixing these issues could be as simple as turning a knob in the refrigerator or hiring a contractor to repairing an appliance, Kunesh said
The process of complying with state food worker card requirements is a more complicated, he said.
“Each food worker has to obtain a Washington state food and beverage worker permit,” Kunesh said.
“That means you go online, take a training, read some material, watch a slide show” and then take a test, he said, estimating that the entire process takes less than an hour.
The problem is “pretty easy to fix, (but) sometimes getting people to actually do it” can be difficult, Kunesh said, adding that some workers have to be “reminded a couple of times.”
How often are Bellingham-area restaurants reinspected?
According to Warner, Whatcom County health inspectors conducted a total of 1,133 inspections of local food-serving facilities in 2025 that could have potentially led to enforcement action, including follow-up and re-inspection.
Why do local restaurants get permits suspended?
Restaurants in Whatcom County can get their permits suspended — forcing them to temporarily close their doors —for a variety of reasons, according to Kunesh.
The most common of these is infrastructure failure.
When a sewer backup causes sewage to pool on kitchen floors, for instance, this poses an immediate health threat, Kunesh said.
When that happens, the Whatcom County Health Department orders the eatery to close immediately, not reopening until the problem is fixed.
Another issue that can result in a restaurant’s temporary closure is interrupted water service, according to Kunesh.
If there is no hot water to wash hands or sanitize utensils, the eatery cannot properly function and needs to shut down until the issue is resolved, he explained.
However, most restaurant owners shut down their restaurants on their own, before the health department needs to take action.
“Usually we don’t have to take any action,” Kunesh said. “The operator is like, ‘Gosh, we can’t operate in these circumstances.’ Same thing with sewer backups.”
“Most restaurant owners are going to act on their own” to fix problems when they happen, Kunesh said. “Most restaurant operators act in an honorable manner.”
“They understand that if it’s a circumstance where they wouldn’t want to take their family to that restaurant, they’re not going to they’re not going to stay open and serve their customers,” he added.
If a restaurant has repeated health code violations, Kunesh said, its permit will be temporarily suspended.
What happens if a restaurant has cockroaches?
Issues with cockroaches, rodents and other vermin are not common in Whatcom County, according to Warner.
If an inspector finds evidence of a cockroach infestation at a restaurant, he said, its owners must take these steps:
- Hire a licensed pest control company immediately.
- Dispose of all contaminated products.
- Clean and disinfect affected areas.
- Modify storage practices by moving food and other articles such as straws and napkins into vermin-proof containers
What about rodents?
If an inspector finds evidence of rodents such as rats or mice at an eatery, the owners must take these steps, according to Warner
- Dispose of all contaminated products.
- Clean and disinfect affected areas.
- Modify storage practices by moving food and other articles such as straws and napkins into rodent-proof containers
How can restaurants with suspended permits reopen?
If the eatery has a mechanical issue such as a fridge malfunction, its owners need to show proof that the issue has been or will be fixed, according to Kunesh.
Inspectors aren’t required to visit the restaurant in person to confirm that.
If there’s a sewer- or water-related issue, Whatcom County health officials must go to the restaurant and ensure the issue has been fixed, and the restaurant is up to code, before it can reopen.
If the restaurant had its permit suspended due to repeated violations, the health department will hold an administrative review hearing, Kunesh said.
In these meetings, health officials establish the criteria for having the permit reinstated, he said.
Once the restaurant owner agrees to that criteria and does the work to fix violations, the eatery’s permit can be reinstated.
“The turnaround for (reopening) is generally a quick one,” Kunesh said.
How can I find results of Whatcom County restaurant inspections?
You can find the results of Whatcom County restaurant inspections online on the Food Safety Inspections page.
Search by the food establishment’s name, street name or city.