Hawaii Burger Chain Closes Restaurant After Snapchat Video Appears to Show Rat Cooked on Grill
The burger chain immediately closed the restaurant for cleaning, and fired the employees in the video, according to the president of the company.
A Snapchat video has surfaced of burger restaurant employees cooking what looks like a rat or mouse on the grill at Teddy’s Bigger Burger in Mapunapuna.
In the video, one employee can be seen flipping over something grey with a long tail, and another employee says “Hi, welcome to Teddy’s.”
The burger chain immediately closed the restaurant for cleaning, and fired the employees in the video, according to the president of the company.
“We are horrified that a former teenage employee would conduct themselves in that way and make such a video of which we are investigating the authenticity,” Richard Stula, the president of Teddy’s Bigger Burgers said to the Associated Press. “We are horrified a former employee would create something like this trying to destroy our reputation without regard for our 20-plus years of quality and aloha,” he continued.
Officials at Teddy’s Bigger Burgers say they plan to investigate whether the video is real or not, and they plan to replace all utensils and equipment, as well as send a team to investigate before they re-open the restaurant. The Hawaii Department of Health is also scheduled to examine the restaurant, which got a passing grade during their last inspection in June.
Peter Oshiro, who is Hawaii’s environmental health program manager says that “the DOH appreciates the remedial and proactive efforts undertaken by the restaurant owner to protect public health.”
The chain manager is also planning to hire a pest control service to find out if there is a rodent infestation. They have also taken legal advice and are considering taking legal action against the former employees.
Burger restaurants seem to get a bad press when it comes to health and hygiene, but whether this video is a hoax or not, there are many instances of food-borne illnesses in the fast food sector.
BLT Burger at the Mirage in Las Vegas was shut down by the Southern Nevada Health District for numerous health violations, including food being left unprotected from potential contamination, ineffective pest control measures, and missing hot and cold holding equipment.
