When Logan Square Kitchen owner Zina Murray announced last week that she was heading to court to challenge three violations she described as "groundless" and "retaliation" against her shared commercial kitchen business, she indicated that she was not feeling too optimistic that the court would side with her.
But according to a blog posted Friday, Murray's hearing was successful -- mostly -- as she was found "not liable" for the three minor violations a city inspector reported following the latest of 19 city Department of Public Health inspections over the course of the last two years.
Though she was found not liable for the inspections, her latest struggle with the city did not come without its share of bad news, too: The judge refused to issue her business a clean inspection report.
"Whaaaa? A court with no remedy?" Murray wrote Friday. "I still have an inspection report posted with three groundless violations on it, and every client in a farmer's market or outdoor festival must submit. So there's a meeting/phone call/email every time to explain that, 'yes I have violations, but they have been corrected. Yes, I am still open.' Yada, yada. CPDH, the gift that keeps on giving."
So Murray has chosen to continue to fight. She created a Change.org petition addressed to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Health Commissioner Bechara Couchair touting "five steps to transform Chicago Dept Public Health." Murray has a goal of 23,000 signatures and, as of Monday afternoon, had received 210.
Murray is also, according to Chicagoist, looking to throw "Health Inspection Parties:" Each time she receives word that an inspector is headed toward her space, she will invite their customers, friends and neighbors to come and enjoy the space, plus some coffee and snacks.
"We believe the best disinfectant is fresh air and sunshine," Murray said. "What better place for the media, future food business owners, and the public to see what happens in an actual health inspection-- and why it does (or does not) keep the public safer."