In the United States, any establishment that serves food is subject to periodic inspections from the local Board of Health. These inspections check the respective establishments regarding their level of hygiene and sanitation. This ensures that facilities serve food, beverages and snacks in a safe and sanitary matter, to minimize the occurrence of food related illness.
These inspections typically look at a variety of potential food-related safety issues. Cleanliness is obvious. But so is the safe practices of storage, prevention of food contamination, temperature of food, proper use of utensils, appropriate use of required signage and the physical facilities of the establishment, among multiple other criteria.
It’s wonderful when an establishment gets a perfect or near-perfect score. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always happen that way. Case in point: The American Express Centurion Lounge at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) failed its routine health inspection on December 10th. And I mean they badly failed it.
The lounge is relatively new – it opened in February of this year, near gate E11 at the airport’s international concourse. Nearly 26,000 square feet, it was touted as being almost twice the size of the next largest Centurion Lounge (at JFK). Social media twittered about its whiskey bar (a first for Amex lounges) and expansive menu developed by Chef Deborah VanTrece, a James Beard Award semifinalist and owner of three local Atlanta restaurants.
But even if it was the largest and most beautiful members-only lounge in the world, it means nothing if the food it serves puts customers at risk of food related illness.
The lounge received a score of 69 out of a possible 100. Violations included food that was left uncovered, build-up in the ice machine, inappropriate temperate for food storage, inappropriate time stamps of foods, required signage (permit/inspection/coking poster/handwashing) was not posted, stacking wet dishes, and flies near the main bar.
A score of 69 is considered to be “Unsatisfactory.” The lounge had also been inspected in April and June of this year; it got a score of 71 both times. That’s not much better than a score of 69, of course, but it’s at least considered to be a “C” grade according to the Georgia Board of Health’s criteria. During both of those earlier inspections, the reports showed similar infractions to the ones discovered on December 10th.
Local WSB Atlanta Channel 2 reporter Sophia Choi, who has appropriate membership and therefore had access to the Centurion Lounge, went there to speak to guests but management asked her to leave when they discovered she was informing people that the lounge had failed its inspection.
American Express later sent Choi a statement saying: “Delivering a great experience in the Centurion Lounge is our top priority. We take these inspections seriously and have taken immediate steps to address the report.”
For a high end lounge to get such a dismal score is highly unusual.
- According to Yelp, the Amex Centurion Lounge in Houston, for example, received scores of 99 (Sept, 2022), 100 (August, 2023) and 98 (May, 2024).
- The Centurion Lounge at Heathrow got a score of 5 (very good) for food hygiene in June, 2024.
According to the Georgia Gazette, the health department plans to have a mandatory meeting with the owner, executive chefs and managers of the ATL location at a later date.
Photos: Centurion Lounge
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