This question was answered by Alicia Pickett, senior environmental health program specialist with the New Hanover County Health Department:

It's up to the restaurant to decide if a customer can bring his or her own food in. (File photo)

“The North Carolina General Statutes require we regulate establishments that serve food for pay. We would not regulate someone’s personal food. It would be up to the management of the food service establishment if they allow customers to bring in their own food and drink in the establishment. However, the public can not prepare food and bring the food to the restaurant to be served to the public. All food served at the restaurant must be from an approved source.”

N.C. General Statute § 130A-248. Regulation of food and lodging establishments.

(a) For the protection of the public health, the Commission shall adopt rules governing the sanitation of establishments that prepare or serve drink or food for pay and establishments that prepare and sell meat food products or poultry products. However, any establishment that prepares or serves food or drink to the public, regardless of pay, shall be subject to the provisions of this Article if the establishment that prepares or serves food or drink holds an ABC permit, as defined in G.S. 18B-101, meets any of the definitions in G.S. 18B-1000, and does not meet the definition of a private club as provided in G.S. 130A-247(2).

Date posted: December 1, 2011

User-contributed question by:
VINCENT RUSSO