A & W
235 Hwy 3 Princeton BC V0X 1W0 · Restaurant - Food Service
Inspection summary
A & W has been inspected 10 times by Interior Health Authority since March 6, 2014. The most recent inspection, on February 12, 2026, found no infractions.
3 of 10 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there was 1 inspection with 0 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Food temperature control, Protecting food from contamination and Cleaning and sanitizing.
Recent inspections have recorded more infractions than earlier ones, so it is worth reading the latest reports closely.
What these findings mean
Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.
Food temperature controlHigher risk
Bacteria multiply fastest between about 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F). Inspectors check that cold food stays cold, hot food stays hot, cooked food is cooled quickly, and that staff have accurate thermometers. Temperature problems are one of the most common causes of food poisoning, so these are treated as critical findings.
Recorded 5 times across 5 separate inspections, most recently on August 3, 2023. For example:
2 Are proper temperature controls maintained to ensure safe storage and display of foods?
Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk
This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.
Recorded 4 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on August 3, 2023. For example:
5 Are the premises and equipment properly maintained and operated in a sanitary manner (i.e. ongoing maintenance)?
Cleaning and sanitizingHigher risk
Anything that touches food, such as cutting boards, dishes and utensils, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Inspectors check dishwasher temperatures, sanitizer strength and how wiping cloths are stored. Poor sanitizing lets bacteria survive from one use to the next.
Recorded 3 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on September 18, 2019. For example:
3 Are food contact surfaces, utensils and equipment washed and sanitized in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?
Handwashing and staff hygieneHigher risk
Hands are the main way germs like norovirus move from people to food. Inspectors look for stocked, accessible handwashing sinks, staff washing hands when required, hair restraints, and sick employees being kept away from food. Gaps here can spread illness quickly.
Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on March 8, 2018. For example:
5 - Are there handwashing stations available and properly supplied?
Permits, records and postingLower risk
Operating permits, required signage, written procedures and logs. These findings are administrative: the documentation was missing or out of date at the time of inspection.
Recorded 7 times across 4 separate inspections, most recently on April 2, 2025. For example:
3 Are written food handling procedures (Food Safety Plan) current and available on site?
About this data
These results come from Interior Health Authority, which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.
10 inspections
- Monitoring
0 infractions
- Monitoring
1 infraction
- F3.3 Are written food handling procedures (Food Safety Plan) current and available on site?
- Observation(s): No Food Safety Plan on site.
- F3.3A Operator must have written food handling procedures that includes all potentially hazardous foods on site.
- F3.3 Are written food handling procedures (Food Safety Plan) current and available on site?
- Monitoring
4 infractions
- F1.2 Are proper temperature controls maintained to ensure safe storage and display of foods?
- Observation(s): - front under-counter cooler measured at 6.6C - perishable product removed during inspection; please ensure cooler is able to reliably hold foods at 4C or colder before re-stocking with perishable foods
- F2.5 Are the premises and equipment properly maintained and operated in a sanitary manner (i.e. ongoing maintenance)?
- Observation(s): - prep walk-in cooler measured at 6C - only containing vegetables, but all coolers should be a 4C or colder - fryer greasehood filters need more frequent cleaning to eliminate the dripping of grease back down onto the grill - floors are slippery - possibly from intermittent leak of fryer (repair being investigated); please look into containing the leak and then work on de-greasing your floor
- F2.6 Are the premises designed and equipped to ensure safe food handling?
- Observation(s): - hot water measured at 73.3C - this is excessively hot water and can cause scalding. Please look into getting hot water temp into the 50-55C range
- F3.2 Is the premises construction and layout unchanged and in accordance with approved plans?
- Observation(s): - floor of kitchen walk-in cooler is corroded and perforated, so it is not cleanable. Please repair/replace floor of this cooler to a durable cleanable surface
- F1.2 Are proper temperature controls maintained to ensure safe storage and display of foods?
- Monitoring
9 infractions
- F1.2 Are proper temperature controls maintained to ensure safe storage and display of foods?
- Observation(s): - front display cooler reading 7C and compressor is at maximum setting; please stop storing perishable foods in this cooler until it can reliably hold foods at 4C or colder
- F1.7 Are foods protected from contamination?
- Observation(s): - back walk-in freezer has frozen condensate under left side and on to boxed juice and mugs; please discard all boxes of juice that are showing signs of absorbed water. Do not store anything under this part of the evaporator unit until it is fixed
- F2.1 Does the facility have proper monitoring supplies?
- Observation(s): - all hydrogen peroxide dispensers not at effective concentration as there are no test strips available to staff to check the concentration; please do not use as a sanitizer and continue using your quat ammonia as it is at effective concentration as it is being checked
- F2.3 Are food contact surfaces, utensils and equipment washed and sanitized in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?
- Observation(s): - floor of walk-in cooler storing tomatoes, lettuce, etc. (behind grill) needs floor to be washed as there is mould growing under the racks - all hydrogen peroxide dispensers not at effective concentration as there are no test strips available to staff to check the concentration; please do not use as a sanitizer and continue using your quat ammonia as it is at effective concentration as it is being checked
- F2.5 Are the premises and equipment properly maintained and operated in a sanitary manner (i.e. ongoing maintenance)?
- Observation(s): - entire kitchen floor has stagnant water in specific areas that appear to have been left to sit for too long as there is a build-up evident in this sitting water.
- F2.6 Are the premises designed and equipped to ensure safe food handling?
- Observation(s): - grease hood over grill in need on cleaning as one filter is not fitted properly to help promote air flow
- F3.3 Are written food handling procedures (Food Safety Plan) current and available on site?
- Observation(s): - please have your food safety plan readily available for review
- F3.4 Are written sanitation procedures (Sanitation Plan) current and available on site?
- Observation(s): - given the condition of the floor in your kitchen, it is essential to be able to review the cleaning plan and the monitoring checklists
- F3.6 Are the FOODSAFE training requirements being met?
- Observation(s): - key food prep staff do not have FoodSafe certification - recommend bringing in an instructor to teach all staff at once to help ensure all staff have current certification
- F1.2 Are proper temperature controls maintained to ensure safe storage and display of foods?
- Monitoring
5 infractions
- F1.4 - Are proper refrigeration, freezing and thawing procedures followed?
- Observation(s): - front under-counter cooler blowing warm air and not in use; please ensure it can reliably keep foods at 4C or lower before putting back into service
- F2.4 - Are foods handled in a sanitary manner and protected from contamination?
- Observation(s): - please ensure prep line inserts are also changed-over with the foods (i.e., do not just top-up inserts)
- F3.5 - Are there handwashing stations available and properly supplied?
- Observation(s): - back walk-in freezer showing ice build-up from fan unit line-set; please remove ice and address underlying cause
- F3.7 - Are written food handling procedures (Food Safety Plan) current and available on site?
- Observation(s): - please ensure food safety plan is readily available for review
- F3.8 - Are the sanitation procedures (Sanitation Plan) current and available on site?
- Observation(s): - please ensure sanitation plan is readily available for review
- F1.4 - Are proper refrigeration, freezing and thawing procedures followed?
- Monitoring
6 infractions
- F1.4 - Are proper refrigeration, freezing and thawing procedures followed?
- Observation(s): - front cooler reading 8C - please repair - please ensure two-hour holding time for non-temp controlled foods are observed with proper documenting/tracking using your standard operating procedure (i.e., the condiment tracking sheets)
- F2.3 - Are equipment, food contact surfaces and utensils washed, sanitized and stored in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?
- Observation(s): - all walk-in fan units need cleaning
- F3.4 - Are the premises, equipment and utensils designed and maintained to ensure safe and sanitary food handling?
- Observation(s): - back door needs new sweep for rodent control
- F3.5 - Are there handwashing stations available and properly supplied?
- Observation(s): - hand sink by dishwasher needs soap dispenser replaced
- F3.7 - Are written food handling procedures (Food Safety Plan) current and available on site?
- Observation(s): - food safety plan not readily to staff
- F3.8 - Are the sanitation procedures (Sanitation Plan) current and available on site?
- Observation(s): - sanitation plan not readily available
- F1.4 - Are proper refrigeration, freezing and thawing procedures followed?
- Monitoring
2 infractions
- 8 - Are equipment, food contact surfaces and utensils washed, sanitized and stored in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?
- Observation(s): The quat sanitizer dispenser was dispensing solution out at 0 ppm. Until it is fixed, staff are making up the sanitizer manually to ensure they are using it at 200-400 ppm.
- 14 - Are the premises, equipment and utensils designed and maintained to ensure safe and sanitary food handling?
- Observation(s): Broken scoop for onion ring batter was observed, please get a new one.
- 8 - Are equipment, food contact surfaces and utensils washed, sanitized and stored in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?
- Monitoring
0 infractions
- Monitoring
1 infraction
- 15.2 - Are potentially hazardous foods stored or displayed 4°C or colder or 60°C or hotter?
- Observation(s): Cooler 2 is above 4 deg C- keep temperature logs to monitor
- 15.2 - Are potentially hazardous foods stored or displayed 4°C or colder or 60°C or hotter?
- Monitoring
0 infractions