5 Cases of Businesses Being Shut Down Due to a Pest Infestation

As a business owner, there are many, many things that you worry about from day to day. Keeping customers coming in, staying on top of finances, and staying up to date with inventory, just to name a few. But one worry that probably isn’t top of mind on a daily basis is pest issues. However, there are few things that can harm a business like a pest infestation. In fact, it can even mean a temporary or permanent shut down if the issue becomes extreme. Below, you will find five examples of businesses that have in fact been shut down due to a pest infestation. 

Foster Farms

The Foster Farms plant in Livingston, CA was shut down temporarily earlier this year because of a cockroach infestation. The US Department of Agriculture shut down operations because of the threat to public health. Roaches were spotted on a sink near the processing line, with exposed product nearby, and also on a plastic tub that came into contact with chicken. The location was also cited with noncompliance several times in 2013 because of cockroach sightings. Regardless of the fact that they were allowed to reopen after the issue was dealt with, the damage to their reputation may be harder to deal with than the shutdown itself.

Nick’s Tomato Pie

In Jupiter, Florida, Nick’s Tomato Pie was recently shut down for a cockroach infestation. According to the owner, Nick Chiantese, the roach issue didn’t originate from the restaurant, but from a new piece of equipment that was brought in. Inspectors found 65 roaches in the eatery, most of which were dead. Mr. Chiantese insists that the roaches were hiding in the motor and compressor of the new equipment, but does admit that he should have done a more thorough check of the machine to ensure that it was pest-free. Pest control was quickly brought in to address the situation, and the restaurant opened back up.

Congee Chinese Restaurant

In September, the health department shut down a well-known Chinese restaurant in Manhattan after evidence of live rats, roaches, flies and other violations were found. Congee Chinese Restaurant has been praised by both The New York Times and New York Magazine, but this latest snafu may have done permanent damage to their reputation. In addition to the pest issue, inspectors found that food had not been stored at proper temperatures and surfaces that came into contact with food were not properly cleaned. This goes to show that pest control issues can negatively affect even popular, well-known businesses.

Peking Restaurant

In September of this year, Peking Restaurant in Fort Pierce, Florida was shut down – for the third time. Health Inspectors found 10-12 fresh rodent droppings in the dish machine where dishes were being washed. This dishwasher was also close to the cook line, prep area, and rice cooker. Because of this close proximity and the health risk that is posed by the droppings, inspectors shut the restaurant down. They were previously shut down in 2008 because of roaches and in 2012 for the discovery of more than 300 rat droppings. While the previous shut downs haven’t meant the end for this business, there’s a good chance that the repeated occurrence will begin to harm sales.

Nuevo Leon

In the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, a popular Mexican restaurant was recently shut down because of a failed health inspection. Nuevo Leon was closed down for a day in August of this year for violations including improperly stored food, fruit flies, and live roaches. More than 30 live roaches were found, some under the steam table service area, more on the lights in the main prep area, and a few behind the refrigerator. While the restaurant re-opened within a day, word spreads quickly, and many patrons were made aware of the situation.

As you can see, pest infestation issues can do quite a bit of damage for a business. If you haven’t had routine pest control performed at your business location recently, it’s time to do so. Preventative commercial pest control services can save you a lot headache, hassle, and loss of business down the line.