For Jose Ruiz, a big part of owning three authentic Mexican food restaurants in Arlington is passing inspections.
ARLINGTON, Texas — As Arlington prepares to welcome thousands of visitors for the World Cup this summer, city health inspectors are increasing their focus on restaurant safety standards across the entertainment district and beyond.
At Gilberto’s Taco Shop in Arlington, owner Jose Ruiz watched closely as inspectors checked temperatures, sinks, sanitation practices, and kitchen cleanliness during a routine inspection. Operating a restaurant is his dream job and something that’s been in his family since he was a teenager.
“When I was 15, I got introduced into the business,” Ruiz said.
For Ruiz, passing inspections is critical to keeping customers safe and protecting the reputation of his family-owned restaurants.
“Making sure that the kitchen is clean, make sure everything is done right, and, you know, temperatures, make sure the sinks are good, make sure the trash is taken out,” Ruiz said.
Ruiz owns three authentic Mexican food restaurants in Arlington serving tacos, burritos, gorditas, and other traditional dishes. Gilberto’s Taco Shops are located at 1112 East Abram Street, 611 West Park Row Drive, and 1110 South Bowen Road.
His restaurants are among the many food establishments Arlington officials want prepared before international soccer fans arrive this summer. All eyes will be on the city of Arlington, scheduled to host nine World Cup Soccer games at AT&T Stadium, renamed Dallas Stadium for the event.
“We really are on the world stage here in Arlington for the World Cup,” Arlington Health Services Manager Aimee Rockhill said.
Rockhill oversees the city’s inspection team, which uses FDA standards to evaluate restaurants throughout Arlington. She said inspections become even more important as businesses prepare for significantly larger crowds.
“One of those risk-based assessments that the FDA uses is the number of patrons,” Rockhill said. “So, if you’re serving 100 patrons, that may be a lower risk than if you’re serving 1,000 patrons.”
Ruiz said one of the biggest challenges is that inspections are unannounced. Still, he and his team are always ready.
“The thing about the inspections here is that we don’t know when they’re gonna show up,” Jose Ruiz said. “They just show up. I hope we did good. I think we did.”
Ruiz sets his own standards for his restaurants. He trains his employees to always be ready for inspections. He even has his own way to measure cleanliness.
“If you have a clean restroom, you also have clean kitchens. That’s how I think about it,” said Jose Ruiz, “So, I think having an A, it makes me happy.”
The city requires restaurants to display their inspection grades where customers can easily see them. Ruiz proudly keeps his restaurant’s A grade visible for customers walking through the door. Rockhill and her team are also helping restaurants and local businesses prepare for World Cup fans with signage and other customer-friendly objectives. Businesses interested in learning more can visit www.arlingtontx.org/healthservices
With the World Cup expected to bring visitors from around the world to Arlington, Ruiz said he hopes fans leave with more than just a good meal.
“I just want them to go back home and be like, ‘That restaurant was really good,’” Ruiz said.