North Carolina Pizza Hut Closed After Live Mice Found

A Raleigh, N.C., Pizza Hut restaurant has been temporarily closed after live mice were seen inside the restaurant on Tuesday morning by a restaurant employee.

According to WRAL, the Pizza Hut location received an inspection grade of 92 after a routine inspection by Wake County health officials on Monday, June 4.

However, the health inspector who reviewed the Pizza Hut location noted droppings from rodents around an ice machine in the official sanitation report. In addition, the restaurant's ice machine was described as moldy, and dirty dishes and standing water were located in the dishwasher.

To remedy the rodent dropping problem, a contractor placed boards around the restaurant on Monday and covered the boards in glue in order to catch the unidentified rodents. On Tuesday morning, an employee arrived at the Pizza Hut restaurant and found six mice, still alive, attached to the boards.

WRAL reports the employee notified the Wake County Health Department, who then sent inspector Naterra McQueen to order the restaurant to shut its doors immediately. McQueen also revoked the Pizza Hut's permit to prevent the restaurant from serving customers until the mouse problem is resolved effectively.

In an interview with WRAL, health inspector McQueen stated she could not shut down the restaurant Monday based solely on the rodent droppings noted in Monday's routine inspection. Instead, live animals must be seen inside a restaurant during the inspection in order for the restaurant to be closed at the time of inspection.

A Pizza Hut corporate spokesman told WRAL that he expects the restaurant to reopen Wednesday, just one day after the mice were found stuck to the glue-covered boards. The spokesman for the Pizza Hut chain also reinforced the restaurant chain's objective to provide a safe dining experience for customers nationwide.

On Tuesday, the Pizza Hut employee who notified the health department told WRAL she was fired after the incident. The claimed firing of the employee has raised questions as to whistleblower laws which may protect the employee's rights in the given situation.

However, the employee stated she has no regrets and was fired because she refused to clean the kitchen area, citing her discomfort regarding the situation with the mice. In addition, the employee said mice have not only been seen by workers for the past few weeks, but also by restaurant patrons who pointed out the problem to the employees several times recently.

Previous Wake County Sanitation Inspections at the Pizza Hut location include a 95 in February 2007, 92.5 in July 2006, 76.5 in January 2006, and 85 in November 2005. The Pizza Hut location is located in eastern Raleigh at 3691 New Bern Avenue.

The incident in Raleigh is similar to the infamous New York City KFC-Taco Bell rat infestation in February 2007. In that rodent infestation, the KFC-Taco Bell restaurant passed a sanitary inspection just one day before the rodents emerged within the Greenwich Village restaurant.

Gerald Owens. "Pizza Hut Closed After Mice Found Inside." WRAL.com. URL: (http://www.wral.com/5onyourside/story/1474451/).

"Health Dept: 'It Doesn't Look Like Inspection Met Standards'" WNBC.com. URL: (http://www.wnbc.com/news/11089614/detail.html).