Free for journalists & researchers
CUSTOM INSPECTION REPORTS
Chicago publishes 313,000 food inspections going back to 2010. That record answers questions about one restaurant easily and questions about patterns badly. We hold the whole thing in a form that can be grouped, ranked, and compared — and we’ll run it for you.
Free. The only condition is that you cite GutCheck Chicago and link to the site in whatever you publish.
See a sample first
A full report on one establishment, with every inspection ID and a direct URL returning that exact record from the city’s API. The establishment name is fictitious; every inspection in it is real and verifiable.
Sample report (PDF)8 pages · full violation detail · every record citedWhat we can pull
- Repeat offenders. Establishments by failure count, citywide or in one neighbourhood. 62% of all failures come from 5,254 places that have failed 3+ times.
- One establishment’s full record. Every inspection since 2010, violation by violation, with the reason each visit happened.
- Neighbourhood comparisons. Pass rates, common violations, and how one area sits against the citywide baseline.
- Violation patterns. Which violations actually predict a failure, how often specific conditions appear, and how any of it has moved over 16 years.
- Anything else the dataset supports. Describe the question in the form and we’ll tell you honestly whether the data can answer it.
Some of this is already published on our data analysis page. Start there if it covers what you need.
Request a report
Goes straight to a person. Prefer email? justin@builtbybackspace.com
Common questions
What does a custom report cost?
Nothing. The only condition is attribution: cite GutCheck Chicago and include a link to gutcheckchicago.com in whatever you publish.
What can you pull that the city's portal can't?
The city publishes every inspection as a flat file, which answers questions about one establishment well and questions about patterns badly. We hold the full 313,000-record history in a form that can be grouped, ranked, and compared: repeat-offender lists, neighbourhood comparisons, violation frequency over time, or every establishment matching a specific condition.
How long does it take?
Usually a day or two. If you're on deadline, say so in the request and include the deadline date.
Can I verify the numbers independently?
Yes, and you should. Every report cites the inspection ID behind each record plus a direct URL returning that exact row from the city's API. Nothing in a report is a figure you have to take on trust.
Do you only work with journalists?
No. Researchers, students, community organisations, and public health workers are all welcome. Attribution is the only requirement.