Fayetteville Restaurant Scores Perfect Sanitation Grade For 10th Straight Time

The Subway Restaurant on Cedar Creek Road in Fayetteville is the only restaurant Five On Your Side is aware of that has managed to keep a perfect sanitation score for so long. So what's the secret? Five On Your Side went there to find out.

The service is friendly and fast at the Subway Restaurant on Cedar Creek Road in Fayetteville. But the main reason it has so many regular customers, including employees of competing restaurants, is that it proudly posts a perfect sanitation score! What is more impressive is that it is the restaurant's 10th "100" in a row.

"I looked at it and said, 'Wow, that's kind of unusual,'" says customer Jerry Taylor. "I've never seen a place like that. It's a real clean place to eat."

Eva Nelson has managed the Subway for most of the two-and-a-half years it has earned perfect scores. She works hard and expects her employees do the same. That combined with a little German accent, earned her a new name.

"Well, they call me Colonel Klink," she says.

"Colonel Klink," who one cannot help but notice is constantly wiping and washing, does not care about the name as long as her employees all work to keep the restaurant clean.

"I'm very demanding when it comes to cleanliness, but they also know I don't ask them to do anything that I don't do," she says.

Nelson says the secret to getting and keeping a 100 is simple.

"You just treat it like it was your kitchen at home. You wouldn't want a crusted microwave at home. You don't want it here," Nelson says. "They may say, 'Well, there's only a few crumbs down there,' but if you don't clean up a few crumbs, eventually, you're going to cause vermin to take over your store and that's a health hazard."

After earning the first 100, Nelson set a goal to keep it. Along with fast and friendly service, she vows her Subway will serve up super-clean sanitation.

"It's just a good feeling to see what people see it and appreciate it," she says. "Colonel Klink is cracking that whip, and they do what needs to be done."

While it is typical for managers to get all the credit, it was very important to Eva that her employees were recognized, so Eva shares the credit with Aquita, Bonnie, Brandon, Charles, Emanuel, Janelle and Jenny.

It is also worth noting that the Cedar Creek Subway earned solid 100s without including any bonus points for attending food safety classes.