[Avodah] Kashrus of a Restaurant Under the Supervision of its Owner

[Prof. Levine]

Recently a kashrus announcement was circulated that said (with
identifying information removed)

Such and such restaurant located in such and such a place is no
longer under the supervision of a certain kashrus agency.

This kashrus alert was then followed by an editor's note saying, "The
restaurant is certified by Rabbi [name], a [religious job description],
who also owns the restaurant. The restaurant is located in the
[instituion] (that Rabbi name runs)."

Is a person giving supervision on an establishment that he owns a problem
from a halachic standpoint? Is this indeed a valid hashgacha, given that
the owner and kashrus supervisor are one and the same?

IMO, this is not the same as someone saying that his or her home is
kosher. In one's home there is presumably no profit motive involved.

Years ago someone told me that there is a teshuva of the Chasam Sofer
that says that such supervision is not valid, but I do not know which
teshuva this is.

I am personally uncomfortable with a private hashgocha, because the idea
of the person who is being supervised paying the supervisor directly
does not sit well with me. (I am not saying there is any problem with
such hashgachas from a halachic standpoint.) However, here the "payee"
and the supervisor are one and the same!

Yitzchok Levine
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