Yuk! - Rats run wild in KFC - Taco Bell In New York

Good morning Lloyd, I'm really glad that I came across your post other than at meal-time. The last time I was in NYC - Manhattan, I saw what I thought was a cat, out of the corner of my eye. Then I saw the tail. Eee gads, it was a rat as big as a big Tom-Cat. It gives me the creeps just thinking about it. As for camera's catching the filthy rodents having their own little after-hours party, well ... sadly it's not the first time, nor will it be the last. When buildings are literally on top of each other, with millions of residents, and their food stuff(s) i.e. garbage, is ever present, it's gonna' happen. It's a fact of life, just like roaches in big cities. It's times like this that I'm glad the Dept. of Health has the power to confirm for the customers that a complete re-sanitation has been performed. And, to mandate with follow-ups, that the restaurant remains committed to complying with sanitary guidelines. It also makes me glad that I don't live in a big city! But, even out here in the sticks, we have to worry about mice. So, I guess there's really no escaping rodents. The key is to be diligent in rendering one's home, or place of business unfriendly to all rodents. Package things in air-tight plastic so they can't smell it, poison them, to limit the health risks associated with their colonies populating, and as for restaurants ... use stainless steel wherever possible. Rodents can't climb up it, they can't chew threw it, and it's easy to keep sanitized! As for forcing the restaurant to re-locate: I don't think that'll really accomplish much. There will be rodents wherever the KFC/Taco Bell moves. And, rodents don't need the "special recipe" to be satisfied. They'll eat cardboard, electrical wiring covering, insulation, you name it - they'll eat it.

That was so gross. When I saw this on the news it made me ill. You really never know what happens in your favorite fast food place after hours. I am glad that I don't frequently partake in fast food.

Yeah, the rat thing is pretty gross. I wouldn't blame Yum Brands (which owns Taco Bell, KFC, and others) for it, because this location, like many others, is owned by independent franchisees. (I have a feeling this franchisee might be getting his contract revoked, soon!) This location had been issued a health warning recently, and it was supposedly doing some construction to meet the health dept's requirements. The Yum people say they think the construction may have stirred up the the rat problem. I don't know if that's the case, but in my apt. building every time there's renovation in a nearby apt. I get a new family of mice in my place. I have to admit that the video I saw was pretty funny to watch, with the bystanders giving their commentary, like the one about the rat coming for his "close-up"!

It's not so much that the leadership for these places needs to change, I think it's both possibly the way the employees are cleaning (or not cleaning) and the health inspectors not doing their job that these places have gone downhill. It really seems that in some cases the bigger the city (no not picking on one city in particular), the less some people care about actually doing something right and just getting through with their work day. Which causes these sort of colossial problems to unfold. Kinda scarey, but it's a cold hard fact that a lot of it would be prevented if each shift was better staffed to take on large crowds, and for health inspectors and "leadership" parties were making sure they employees were doing their cleaning duties correctly.

I agree they need more than just to clean house. They have a long history of violations and I think the Health Department isn't doing their job well either. I will be home cooking tonight!

i also think the same way as you do. They should not be re-opened. Even they do, they should know that business will not be as good as before anymore, unless they re-open in different place where nobody actually know about the incident. However, I still think there should be such policy to prevent the re-opening of such stores.

Thats pretty gross, im glad i dont eat at either of those restaurants. gross things happen in so many restaurants, good ones and crappier ones, if most people really knew what went on in restaurants they wouldnt bother eating out at all ever. I prefer to eat in my own home where i know exactly how clean it is and how everything is being prepared.

Wow, would that be a sight. We never get to see that kind of thing. Would question the safety of eating though. Does not surprise me since there is a high unnatual concentration of people in one area. The rats are smart and very opportunistic. I think that we miss all the fun. My cat Merlin agrees.

I agree with you and i for one also think that this is totally disgusting and it gives me the creeps. In fact it even sends chills up and down my spine ..... ewwwwwwwwwwwwww!! I think that they should also consider selling after sanitizing the place to something that does not involve food as this to me is just gross and it is gross even after being sanitized as the thought will always be there!

This is just so gross! Yaikkss! It is disturbing to know that food houses like this runs in your neighborhood. The blame should be put on the authority since they let these dirty owners operate without passing the sanitary requirements needed for such sensitive businesses which caters food for the people. This will be another scandal for those corrupt authorities who are responsible for filtering and cleaning out the community

I saw that last night it made me cringe i dont use fast food places much but that made me feel like never ever using them again .dont tell me they didnt know about the rats ,they leave signs when they infest !

EEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww That sounds really nasty!! I have never heard of that, but I did get food poisoning from Red Lobster once...you pretty much take your life in your hand when you go out to eat...

That is so disgusting. How could they have gotten so bad before someone decided to close the place? If I saw one rat that would be it. They shouldn't be allowed to serve food in there anymore either. Rats carry all kinds of diseases and you never know what else they are carrying.

I saw that!! It made my skin crawl. Actually, I have never heard of a dozen or so rats moving in at the same time. These had to have come in one at a time. I don't live in NY but, if I did, I would have second thoughts of visiting this particular restaurant even after it is 'sanitized'. Just knowing those hairy creatures were running around would be enough to keep me away.

I was totally disgusted...I just seen it on the news...and they were trying to say it was an isolated incident...yeah right. You don't have that many rats if it is an isolated incident..I think they need to shut it down definitely until they can determine what is going on?

Ya I agree its very gross. I find alot of the fast food places nowa days are getting worst and worst when it comes to being clean. I had recently saw this program where alittle girl had went around to a bunch of fast food restraunt and took samples of their ice and toilet water. Well after she got her test back she found out that every restraunt that had it ice tested turned out to be way more dirty then the toilet water. McDonalds had the worst I guess so ya I agree I think something needs to be done at all these fast food restraunts and as for the rats I would never eat in one of those places again if I seen that.

I saw this on Fox News. It was SO nasty. I seriously wouldn't reopen at that place and I hope they listen to feedback from the customers. I hope they tell them they won't go back to that particular place and they have to move their stores to another location. If a local resturant in my area, reopened after having rats everywhere, I wouldn't go back. You should see me when it gets cold and we have mice that pop in from the fields. (we've had one this year) Bleach becomes my friend for days and days.. It just grosses me out!

I must say that I'm shocked. In my country there aren't many KFC restaurants, but every time I went to one, they were EXTREMELY clean and I had nothing to complain about hygiene. I must say the same about McDonald's; it has to be because of the fact that my country is considered "in development process" and that's why these fast food restaurants are so highly appreciated and almost everybody makes a big deal out of going to eat at KFC or McDonald's. In France, for instance, Paris to be precise, I threw up 2 times after eating from McDonald's. To them, it's the place for the poor I guess, and it's pretty dirty.

I gree with you completely. This is so disgusting. How can rats get to that place? This means that this resturant doesn't care about cleaning, and they work in a stinky place. They don't deserve to reopen in the future. I think that they need to pay money to their costumers who were at the time when the rats showed up. So disgusting!

your right that is really gross and ill probably think twice now before i go to KFC. they should use that building now for non food things. i bet there will be alot of people that will be disgusted and wont go back even when they reopen after they think about all the rats running around. i know i couldnt