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A bad day at the Taco Bell... (video)
Yikes! And yikes again! Story below.
Rats run wild in New York restaurant
Sat Feb 24 2007
By Verenda Dobnik
NEW YORK -- When the staff's away, the rats will play.
A dozen rats were caught on video scurrying around the floor of a New York City KFC/Taco Bell restaurant early Friday, running between counters and tables and climbing on children's high chairs.
News crews flocked to the windows of the Greenwich Village neighbourhood restaurant, which hadn't opened for the day. By midmorning, the footage was all over the Internet and television news shows, with onlookers giving a play-by-play from the sidewalk as the rodents moved about.
"He's coming for his close-up," one bystander said as a rat came near the window.
Employees came to work, but no customers were allowed in as health inspectors arrived.
There was no answer at the phone number displayed in neon on the store window below the words "We Deliver."
"This is completely unacceptable and is an absolute violation of our high standards," KFC and Taco Bell said in a statement.
"This restaurant has been closed and we are addressing the issue with the franchise owner. We will not allow this store to reopen until is it completely resanitized and given a clean bill of health."
The chains said construction in the basement on Thursday "temporarily escalated the situation."
The city Department of Health had inspectors at the site Friday, said department spokeswoman Sara Markt. She said the restaurant had passed inspection in December, but a violation was issued to the restaurant owner about "evidence of rats" -- which meant only droppings at the time.
Markt said the owner of the franchise is listed with the department as ADF Fifth Operating Corp.
Rats have long been a problem in New York City, which has a dense population and such a large and readily available food supply for the rodents.
They are frequently scampering through subway tunnels, rooting through trash, dashing across parks and burrowing into the walls of apartment buildings. But it is rare to see so many rats congregating in one place in such public view.
Yum Brands Inc., based in Louisville, Ky., owns the Taco Bell and KFC restaurant chains.
-- Associated Press
Yikes! And yikes again! Story below.
Rats run wild in New York restaurant
Sat Feb 24 2007
By Verenda Dobnik
NEW YORK -- When the staff's away, the rats will play.
A dozen rats were caught on video scurrying around the floor of a New York City KFC/Taco Bell restaurant early Friday, running between counters and tables and climbing on children's high chairs.
News crews flocked to the windows of the Greenwich Village neighbourhood restaurant, which hadn't opened for the day. By midmorning, the footage was all over the Internet and television news shows, with onlookers giving a play-by-play from the sidewalk as the rodents moved about.
"He's coming for his close-up," one bystander said as a rat came near the window.
Employees came to work, but no customers were allowed in as health inspectors arrived.
There was no answer at the phone number displayed in neon on the store window below the words "We Deliver."
"This is completely unacceptable and is an absolute violation of our high standards," KFC and Taco Bell said in a statement.
"This restaurant has been closed and we are addressing the issue with the franchise owner. We will not allow this store to reopen until is it completely resanitized and given a clean bill of health."
The chains said construction in the basement on Thursday "temporarily escalated the situation."
The city Department of Health had inspectors at the site Friday, said department spokeswoman Sara Markt. She said the restaurant had passed inspection in December, but a violation was issued to the restaurant owner about "evidence of rats" -- which meant only droppings at the time.
Markt said the owner of the franchise is listed with the department as ADF Fifth Operating Corp.
Rats have long been a problem in New York City, which has a dense population and such a large and readily available food supply for the rodents.
They are frequently scampering through subway tunnels, rooting through trash, dashing across parks and burrowing into the walls of apartment buildings. But it is rare to see so many rats congregating in one place in such public view.
Yum Brands Inc., based in Louisville, Ky., owns the Taco Bell and KFC restaurant chains.
-- Associated Press
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That, and I died laughing when that guy said "he's ready for his close-up!"
I have plenty of reasons for not eating fast food. This is one more. But awwww! Rats!