Did you hear about the New Jersey woman who found a rat’s head in her fried chicken at Popeye’s?
Rosemary Thomas was eating at Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen in Harlem with her sister, daughter, and niece when they discovered an unwelcome guest in their meal. She posted photos on Facebook of what they believe to be a rat’s head, but just a fair warning that they’ll probably make you a bit squeamish.
“My daughter is traumatized,” Thomas wrote on Facebook. “I had to take her to urgent care last night, vomited with diarrhea all day.”
Can you even imagine such a discovery as you casually settle in for a nice little lunch with your family?!
Two Sides to Every Story
But of course, there are two sides to every story and we’re only following it in the news just like you. A spokeswoman for Popeye’s, Renee Kopkowski, has acknowledged the complaint, and the franchise has reached out to Thomas to investigate this disturbing case a bit further. Since the incident, Popeye’s ordered a health department inspection and found no evidence of a pest infestation.
This particular location of Popeye’s was last inspected by the Department of Health in April 2016 and received and an “A” grade. But looking further back, the location may have a history of pest issues. In 2015, health inspectors noted that the restaurant was “not vermin proof” and that it had “harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.”
Regarding this case in particular, Popeye’s suppliers say that that alleged rat head was probably only chicken organ meat and nothing more. Needless to say, it’ll be interesting to see how this investigation pans out!
Where Pests Love to Live in Restaurants
Obviously, we’re in no position to say whether it was a rat’s head or a chicken organ in Ms. Thomas’ meal, but we do know a thing or two about keeping pests far away from your favorite restaurants and out of your lunch. Not only are rodents a major concern for restaurants, but also cockroaches, ants, and flies.
These are some of the most common places where pests love to take up residence in restaurants:
- Trash cans
- Dumpsters
- Outdoor lighting fixtures
- Moist mops
- Open windows and doors
- Dirty floor drains
- And apparently, fried chicken!
Rodents, Table for None, Please.
Yet with effective pest control strategies, rodents have no chance of making a dinner reservation at your favorite restaurant. Keeping pests away from restaurant kitchens and dining rooms is crucial to the health, safety, and enjoyment of loyal customers. Rodents and other pests pose serious threats to restaurants by putting customers at risk, tarnishing business’ reputations, and having to pay costly fees for inspections and regulatory breaches.
Keeping pests away is even more of a challenge for 24-hour restaurants, and these around-the-clock establishments may need to shut down for a period of time to complete the treatment. Restaurants should keep in mind that the heat, steam, grease, and moisture in kitchens have an unfortunate way of reducing the effectiveness of some pest control products. It’s also important to hire a professional pest control company that understands how to safely keep treatment chemicals far away from food sources and cooking utensils.
Pest Control in New Jersey
At Precise Pest Control, we’re committed to helping you enjoy every meal without fear of what you’ll bite into.
We know the telltale signs of rodent presence and have a formidable reputation among mice and rats that drives them away for good. For over 25 years, we’ve been helping Bergen and Passaic Counties stay pest-free with same-day service to get rid of unwanted guests quickly and discretely.
When you need to hire the best to handle your pest problem, contact Precise Pest & Termite Control at (866) 971-2847 right away! Good luck erasing those fried chicken images from your mind today, but with your friendly neighborhood exterminators on your side, you can take every bite with confidence.