hand sink next to roaster?

[Coffeesource]

I'm building out a specialty coffee shop with a 6 kilo roaster. We've submitted plans, and the health department is requiring us to install a hand sink next to the roaster. I've never seen this before, and I'm trying to make a case that we don't need one, since it will cost thousands to plumb and install. Any thoughts on making the case?

 

[topher]

do you have a hand washing sink somewhere in your shop? Mine is about 20 or so away from my roaster...sits right next to my 3 compartment sink. Did they say you needed a 3 compartment sink?

 

[almico]

I'm building out a specialty coffee shop with a 6 kilo roaster. We've submitted plans, and the health department is requiring us to install a hand sink next to the roaster. I've never seen this before, and I'm trying to make a case that we don't need one, since it will cost thousands to plumb and install. Any thoughts on making the case?

You can make the case...and you will lose. Since people put it in their mouth, coffee is considered a food when it comes to the board of health.

I had a similar issue. My roaster is set up in a garage attached to my house in NJ. It's a ranch with no basement or attic and the water is on the opposite side of the house from the garage. Plumbing in a sink was not an option. The inspector suggested a self-contained portable sink. Bingo! I found a used SS one on eBay for $1000 and I was approved. Without a way of washing your hands in the same room as the roaster, you will not be sanctioned by any BoH.

 

[Coffeesource]

I have a 3 compartment sink in the back kitchen area, and two hand sinks behind the service counter, where my espresso machine and brew bar are. The roaster is on the other side of the room, and there's a circular seating bar that goes around it. My argument would be that the beans never touch human hands...they go from bin to bucket to hopper to cooling tray to bucket to bin.

 

[almico]

If there are already hand-washing sinks in the room, you have a case on that ground. Saying you are not going to touch the coffee while roasting, weighing, packaging etc. will not get you anywhere.

I realize it doesn't make sense. Beans arrive in filthy, dusty bags with stones and dirt likely mixed in. Washing them is not an option, so we are dealing with an inherently "dirty" product. But health inspectors are a rare breed. I would ask them to see the regulation which specifies how close a sink needs to be to a food processing area. You already have HWing in the room. If he is requiring another sink closer, ask to see the regulation he is enforcing.

 

[topher]

Why are you being inspected by the health department? I am inspected by the department of agriculture. They rock...never had an issue.

 

[Razzo]

We went through a similar problem when we first started. We had found the perfect location at the right price. We asked the building inspector who gave us the green light for the business. After three months of preparation the building inspector threw us a curve ball and said we now had to have the health inspector approve our business. He flat out told us that unless we had a full scale commercial kitchen that he would not even consider us. This city is notorious for being a difficult city to do business in. In the mean time we bought a home in the next town over. The town is very rural and the home had a great outbuilding. I went to the town health inspector and asked what I needed to set up the roaster. I took good notes and did what he had asked. I also explained to the health inspector that coffee is a very safe product. It is roasted at high temperature which kills of any bio-burden and then brewed above the pasteurization temperature which also kills off any bio-burden. The risk of getting contaminated product to consumers is very low. Anyway we did not need a 3 basin sink and the health inspector approved our business. Here in Massachusetts, the town health inspector has the final say on the approval of your facility/business