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A Tale Of Repetition:Lessons From Florida Restaurant Inspections

Author

Listed:
  • Jin, Ginger Zhe
  • Lee, Jungmin

Abstract

We examine the role of repetition in government regulation. Using Florida restaurant inspection data from 2003 to 2010, we find that inspectors new to the inspected restaurant report 12.7-17.5% more violations than the second visit of a repeat inspector. This effect is even more pronounced if the previous inspector had inspected the restaurant more times. The difference between new and repeat inspectors is driven partly by inspector heterogeneity in inherent taste and stringency, and partly by new inspectors having fresher eyes in the first visit of a restaurant. These findings highlight the importance of inspector assignment in regulatory outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Jin, Ginger Zhe & Lee, Jungmin, 2014. "A Tale Of Repetition:Lessons From Florida Restaurant Inspections," Working Papers 190671, American Association of Wine Economists.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aawewp:190671
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.190671
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    2. Hyunjin Kim & Edward L. Glaeser & Andrew Hillis & Scott Duke Kominers & Michael Luca, 2024. "Decision authority and the returns to algorithms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(4), pages 619-648, April.
    3. Makofske, Matthew Philip, 2019. "Inspection regimes and regulatory compliance: How important is the element of surprise?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 30-34.
    4. Kovács, Balázs & Lehman, David W. & Carroll, Glenn R., 2020. "Grade inflation in restaurant hygiene inspections: Repeated interactions between inspectors and restaurateurs," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    5. Makofske, Matthew Philip, 2025. "Anticipated monitoring, inhibited detection, and diminished deterrence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 236(C).
    6. Matthew P. Makofske, 2024. "Disclosure policy design and regulatory agent behavior," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 106(1), pages 118-144, January.
    7. Matthew Philip Makofske, 2020. "The Effect of Information Salience on Product Quality: Louisville Restaurant Hygiene and Yelp.com," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 68(1), pages 52-92, March.
    8. Ginger Zhe Jin & Jungmin Lee, 2014. "Inspection technology, detection, and compliance: evidence from Florida restaurant inspections," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 45(4), pages 885-917, December.
    9. Justin Marion & Jeremy West, 2024. "Socioeconomic Disparities in Privatized Pollution Remediation: Evidence from Toxic Chemical Spills," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 16(3), pages 219-249, July.
    10. Makofske, Matthew, 2025. "Making the Violation Fit the Punishment? Mandatory Disclosure, Discontinuous Penalties, and Inspector Behavior," MPRA Paper 126440, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Makofske, Matthew Philip, 2021. "Spoiled food and spoiled surprises: Inspection anticipation and regulatory compliance," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 348-365.
    12. D. Mark Anderson & Kerwin Kofi Charles & Michael McKelligott & Daniel I. Rees, 2022. "Safeguarding Consumers Through Minimum Quality Standards: Milk Inspections and Urban Mortality, 1880-1910," NBER Working Papers 30063, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Anderson, D. Mark & Charles, Kerwin Kofi & McKelligott, Michael & Rees, Daniel I., 2022. "Safeguarding Consumers through Minimum Quality Standards: Milk Inspections and Urban Mortality, 1880-1910," IZA Discussion Papers 15295, IZA Network @ LISER.
    14. Yoshimoto, Hisayuki & Zapechelnyuk, Andriy, 2024. "Are there “Ratatouille” restaurants? On anticorrelation of food quality and hygiene," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D02 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • K32 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Energy, Environmental, Health, and Safety Law
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation

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