Health inspections as a gate for new restaurants
In U.S. cities, a retail food establishment generally needs a passing health inspection before it can legally serve food. Chicago follows this pattern: inspectors check the site, and a failed first visit prompts a re-inspection before a license is issued.
A passing re-inspection unlocks the business license.
The license is a prerequisite, not a guarantee, that the restaurant opens.
Pl Pho's file mirrors the pattern exactly: two failed checks, two passing checks, then a license.
