East Hampton Board of Health Waives Fine for La Veracruzana, Orders Food Safety Training

Board of Health · Meeting of July 15, 2026

CT EAST HAMPTON — East Hampton Board of Health waives a $200 food truck fine against La Veracruzana, contingent on certified training. The board voted unanimously at its July 15 meeting to waive the fine — issued after inspectors documented the back door of La Veracruzana's mobile food truck left open three separate times during a June 5 event inspection — on the condition that the restaurant schedule a certified, bilingual food safety consultant for at least three staff training sessions within 14 days and submit a corrective action plan to the health department. Health Director Ryan told the board that 10 of 12 routine inspections at La Veracruzana over six years had required re-inspection due to multiple violations, and that five different inspectors had encountered similar compliance difficulties.

Co-owner Sunia, appearing by video alongside co-owner Philip, acknowledged ongoing compliance failures but attributed many to facility maintenance deficiencies and a language barrier, and disputed the conduct of health officials during the June 5 inspection. The board also heard an introductory briefing from Health Inspector Kelsey on proposed revisions to the town's body art regulations following an anonymous complaint of sexual assault by a licensed practitioner — no vote was taken, with formal draft language to come at the September meeting.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 785 words

Source: the Board of Health meeting of July 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

EAST HAMPTON — July 15, 2026 — The East Hampton Board of Health voted unanimously Tuesday to waive a $200 noncompliance fine against La Veracruzana restaurant, contingent on the business scheduling a certified food safety consultant within 14 days and submitting a corrective action plan to the health department.

The decision capped a lengthy hearing in which La Veracruzana co-owner Sunia contested the fine stemming from a June 5 mobile food truck inspection, while Health Director Ryan presented a six-year record of repeat violations at the establishment and called for formal intervention.

The Full Story

The $200 fine was issued after Health Inspector Kelsey found the back door of La Veracruzana's mobile food truck open on two occasions during a June 5 inspection at an event at an abandoned building in East Hampton. Health Director Ryan arrived roughly 45 to 50 minutes later and found the door open a third time. Under the original enforcement action, one of two fines would be waived if two employees completed an online food safety course.

At Tuesday's hearing, Sunia — appearing remotely alongside co-owner Philip — argued that employees had the food covered inside the truck and that one instance of the door being open occurred when a worker briefly stepped out to retrieve a bag of chips. She also raised concerns about the conduct of health officials during the inspection, describing witness accounts of her employees being screamed at and one worker leaving the truck in tears.

"He came screaming up. That's why there was so many people who wrote in." [No timestamp index supplied] — Sunia, co-owner of La Veracruzana

Ryan acknowledged raising his voice but defended the inspection findings. He cited the food code's explicit requirement that doors and windows on mobile food trucks be either closed or screened, with no exception for covered food. He also presented the board with a six-year inspection history showing that 10 of 12 routine inspections had required re-inspection due to multiple violations, many of them repeat.

"Just because an employee doesn't understand the food code, they can't interpret it how they would like. The food code is very specific with doors and windows needing to be either closed or covered with screens. There's no wiggle room about it." [No timestamp index supplied] — Ryan, Health Director

Board member Beth acknowledged the unusual severity of the compliance history. She said the board rarely sees establishments with this many repeat violations and that some intervention was clearly necessary. She and board member Steve agreed that a certified, bilingual food safety consultant — rather than informal in-house retraining — was the appropriate corrective step given the language barriers Ryan and Sunia both cited.

Kelsey described a recent parallel case in which a consultant visit produced marked improvement at another establishment: "I went in and it was like a whole new establishment."

Ryan moved the board to condition the fine waiver on La Veracruzana hiring a certified food consultant for at least three training sessions and submitting a formal corrective action plan. The board will review progress at its next meeting, which is now scheduled for September due to summer travel conflicts among members.

The board also heard an introductory presentation on proposed revisions to the town's body art regulations, following an anonymous complaint of a sexual assault by a licensed body art practitioner. No vote was taken. The board directed Health Inspector Kelsey to draft updated regulations for the September meeting.

Why It Matters

La Veracruzana has operated in East Hampton for six years and faces a formal corrective action plan that, if not followed, could expose the business to renewed fines or further enforcement. The $200 fine waiver is contingent on scheduling a certified bilingual food safety consultant within 14 days — a concrete near-term deadline for the owners. More broadly, the hearing surfaced a structural gap: Ryan noted that five different inspectors over six years have encountered similar compliance difficulties at the establishment, suggesting the issue is not attributable to any single inspection relationship. The board's next meeting in September will include a follow-up on La Veracruzana compliance, a vote on proposed body art regulation changes, and continued discussion of the apprenticeship transfer-of-hours clause.

Key Motions & Votes

- Vote: Approve minutes from the June 10, 2026 Board of Health meeting Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Waive the $200 noncompliance fine against La Veracruzana, contingent on scheduling a certified food safety consultant within 14 days and submission of a corrective action plan to the health department Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Adjourn the July 15, 2026 Board of Health meeting at 6:45 p.m. Tally: Approved unanimously

Source

East Hampton's community access TV: Board of Health meeting, July 15, 2026