What is 540 Cafe's health inspection score?

540 Cafe has a SafeDine safety score of 92 out of 100 (Grade A). This score is calculated from official government health inspection data, factoring in violation severity, recency, and trends.

When was 540 Cafe last inspected?

540 Cafe was last inspected on January 9, 2026. SafeDine tracks official health department inspections and updates scores automatically.

How many health violations does 540 Cafe have?

540 Cafe has 9 total violations across 4 inspections on record. Violations are categorized by severity: high priority, intermediate, and basic.

Is 540 Cafe safe to eat at?

Yes, 540 Cafe has an excellent safety record with a score of 92/100. This indicates strong compliance with health and safety standards.

Official Health Record

540 Cafe

Name: 540 Cafe
Address: 540 W MADISON ST, Chicago, 60661
Rating: 92

540 W MADISON ST, Chicago

Last Inspected: 1/9/2026

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0Excellent

West Loop

Ranked #187 of 1000 in West Loop

Improving

4 inspections

Last: Jan 9, 2026

high confidence

Directions Order

Inspections

Clean Rate

2.3

Avg Violations

5 months ago

Last Inspected

Top Concerns

Most common issues from recent inspections

Plumbing issues

Plumbing or waste disposal problems

Pest issuesHigh Priority

Evidence of pests found during inspection

Food storage

Food not properly stored or protected

Facility condition

Building maintenance or structural issues

Permit/documentationHigh Priority

Administrative or documentation issue

Score Analysis

How the SafeDine score is calculated

Live Data Feed

Starting Score

100

Total Deductions

-7

Final Score

Impact Breakdown

High Priority

-0 pts

Direct health hazards • 10 pts each

Intermediate

-0 pts

Potential hazards • 5 pts each

Basic

-4 pts

Best practices • 2 pts each

Inspection Timeline

+7 pts

Latest

100% weight

2nd

60% weight

3rd

30% weight

Real-time Score: 93/100 — This score includes today's freshness penalty and may differ slightly from the displayed score (92/100) which is computed during our regular data sync.

How scoring works: Every restaurant starts at 100 points. Points are deducted for violations found during inspections.

Recent inspections are weighted more heavily. High priority violations (direct health hazards) have the greatest impact.

Location

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540 W MADISON ST, Chicago, IL 60661

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Violation Timeline

Apr 2023

1 inspections

1 intermediate

2 basic

Apr

Apr 2024

1 inspections

2 high priority

Feb 2025

1 inspections

1 basic

Feb

Jan 2026

1 inspections

3 basic

Inspection History

4 records on file

4 Canvass

Jan 26

Canvass InspectionLatestPass

3 Basic

3 total

94/100inspection score

−6 pts

Basic (3)

−6 pts

45SINGLE-USE/SINGLE-SERVICE ARTICLES: PROPERLY STORED & USED−2
OBSERVED SEVERAL CONTAINERS OF SINGLE-SERVICE ARTICLES (PAPER CUPS, BOWLS) IN ORIGINAL PACKAGING STORED DIRECTLY ON THE FLOOR OF THE DRY/PAPER STORAGE AREA. INSTRUCTED TO RELOCATE SINGLE-SERVICE ARTICLE CONTAINERS AND MAINTAIN ALL SINGLE-SERVICE/SINGLE-USE ARTICLES AT LEAST 6" ABOVE THE FLOOR DURING STORAGE.
51PLUMBING INSTALLED; PROPER BACKFLOW DEVICES−2
OBSERVED HOT WATER HANDLE AT THE DRY/PAPER STORAGE AREA HANDWASHING SINK IN POOR REPAIR, LEAKING BUT FUNCTIONAL. INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR OR REPLACE HOT WATER HANDLE AT THE DRY/PAPER STORAGE AREA HANDWASHING SINK TO ELIMINATE LEAK AND MAINTAIN ALL PLUMBING FIXTURES IN GOOD REPAIR.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
OBSERVED FLOOR BENEATH HIGH-TEMPERATURE DISH MACHINE AND 3-COMPARTMENT SINK IN THE REAR WAREWASHING AREA TO BE HEAVILY-SOILED WITH DRIED FOOD DEBRIS AND OTHER SOILS. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN FLOORS AND OTHER PHYSICAL FACILITIES AT ADEQUATE FREQUENCY TO PREVENT BUILD UP OF DRIED FOOD DEBRIS AND OTHER SOILS AND MAINTAIN.

Base deductions−6 pts

Feb 25

Canvass InspectionPass

1 Basic

1 total

98/100inspection score

−2 pts

Basic (1)

−2 pts

44UTENSILS, EQUIPMENT & LINENS: PROPERLY STORED, DRIED, & HANDLED−2
Deli cups not air dried after washing and stacked while wet, Instructed to air dry all multi-use utensils.

Base deductions−2 pts

Apr 24

Canvass InspectionPass w/ Conditions

2 High

2 total2 risk factors

70/100inspection score

−20 pts

High Priority (2)

−20 pts

1PERSON IN CHARGE PRESENT, DEMONSTRATES KNOWLEDGE, AND PERFORMS DUTIESRisk Factor−10
2CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION CERTIFICATERisk Factor−10
No certified food service manager present on site, instructed to have a certified food service manager present. Priority foundation violation 7-38-012.

Base deductions−20 pts

Risk factor bonus (2× +5)−10 pts

Apr 23

Canvass InspectionPass

1 Med2 Basic

3 total

91/100inspection score

−9 pts

Intermediate (1)

−5 pts

37FOOD PROPERLY LABELED; ORIGINAL CONTAINER−5
OBSERVED NO LABELS FOR BULK STORAGE CONTAINER (FLOUR) LOCATED UNDER PREP TABLE NEAR DRY STORAGE AREA. INSTRUCTED PERSON IN CHARGE OF ALL BULK AND WORKING FOOD INGREDIENT CONTAINERS MUST BE LABELED WITH THE CONTENTS NAME.

Basic (2)

−4 pts

49NON-FOOD/FOOD CONTACT SURFACES CLEAN−2
OBSERVED FOOD DEBRIS ON THE FLOORS IN THE WALK-IN COOLER NEAR THE LIQUOR WALK-IN COOLER. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.
56ADEQUATE VENTILATION & LIGHTING; DESIGNATED AREAS USED−2
OBSERVED TWO BURNT-OUT LIGHT BULBS IN THE REAR FOOD PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE AND MAINTAIN.

Base deductions−9 pts

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Community Safety Reports

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Data source: Chicago CDPH · Official government inspection records

Grading System

85 – 100
Excellent
70 – 84
Good
Below 70
Fair

About SafeDine Scores

Scores are calculated using official government inspection data. High Priority violations (direct health hazards) have the greatest impact, followed by Intermediate and Basic violations. Community reviews can adjust the score by up to 5 points when 3+ reviews are submitted.

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