Hordes Of Rats Invade NYC Fast-Food Joint

Rodents Rule The Roost At A Closed KFC-Taco Bell Restaurant

(CBS/AP)  Even for New Yorkers who had seen everything, the sight was a jaw dropper: hordes of rats running freely through a closed fast food restaurant in the West Village.

Agile, plump, leaping and bounding from table to table, the rodents ran across the floor, between counters and tables and onto children's high chairs.

They even perched on top of an ATM machine.

Rats have long been a presence in New York, with such a dense population and such a large and readily available food supply for the rodents. But it is rare to see so many rats congregating in one place in public view, rather than scampering through subway tunnels, rooting through trash, or dashing across parks.

News crews flocked to the KFC-Taco Bell restaurant, and video footage taken through the store window was widely disseminated Friday on TV stations and the Internet.

Employees came to work Friday morning, but no customers were allowed in as health inspectors arrived.

CBS station WCBS-TV reported that the Department of Health had previously cited the location for health violations, include evidence of "live rats present in the facility's food and non food areas," and will keep the restaurant closed until it can re-inspect it.

The franchise was also cited for having rats on at least three previous occasions by the Department of Health since 2004.

Rick Maynard of KFC/Taco Bell issued a statement Friday, saying "This is completely unacceptable and is an absolute violation of our high standards. This restaurant has been closed and we are addressing the issue with the franchise owner. We will not allow this store to re-open until it is completely resanitized and given a clean bill of health."

The statement also assured customers that this was an isolated incident.

According to people interviewed at the scene by WCBS, the popular restaurant was open until 11 p.m. Thursday night. Others told the station that the problem has been going on for weeks.

"I love to eat at KFC, but this is disgusting," said Tameeka St. Jean.

One man claiming to be a former employee told WCBS correspondent Magee Hickey that he quit after one month because of what he called "filthy conditions."

"I quit because it was nasty," he said.

According to a statement by KFC/Taco Bell, construction in the franchise's basement on Thursday "temporarily escalated the situation."

Joel Cohen, who lives in the building next to the restaurant, had a more graphic view of the situation.

"I'm living over the place that is feeding the rats of New York City," said Cohen, who works in real estate. "This place is a disaster. They throw their rubbish in the doorways. It's loaded up with food in bags that are not tied, and the rats have eaten through the bags."

[bildooreilly]

and these places remain open, disgusting...

[fizzal-2009]

The real rat trap is inside the electrical pannel.

[thenamesdave]

We need to use Los Angeles's system of letter grades. No one would ever go anywhere that didn't get an A.

[rafterman1]

Ah, another typical day in a NYC restuarant.

[flolake]

This hte last straw/rat. I will NEVER set foot in another KFC or Taco Bell for as long as I live. This infestation is unforgiveable and N.Y.C. should not only close the location in question but set up cameras in every single like brand eatery within its jurisdiction.

The "Plague" will surely follow if this matter is not seen to vigerously!

[flolake]

This is the last straw/rat. I will NEVER set foot in another KFC or Taco Bell for as long as I live. This infestation is unforgiveable and N.Y.C. should not only close the location in question but set up cameras in every single like brand eatery within its jurisdiction.

[jimc52]

Ummmm - Yummy - Fried KFC Rat Leg. Just $8.99 for a 12 piece dinner + mashed potatoes :) Or - would you prefer a Rat Taco? Hmmm? What did you say? You found a rat tail in between the lettuce?...oh comeon...a little rat hair wouldn't hurt you! What? Just because the rats russle down in the subways (out of sight, out of mind, right?)...doesn't mean you have to be alarmed about NYC...just when they come up after having their nests disturbed by construction...that's when you have to really be concerned. By the way, I bet these are Norway rats which don't carry the plague. Only black oriental rats do...so no need to get your gammaglobulin shots just yet. What was that advert I have been seeing recently on TV about visiting NYC? This is really bad publicity for NY politicians who just recently were more concerned about banning trans-fats (never mind the rat hair in the margarine, mind you). Oh well...

[jscribe58]

Anyone who has lived in New York City for any length of time and is not aware of the rat problem is either blind or has their head buried deep in the sand. Any construction brings the rats out, and they become more of a problem than usual, but they're always there. You can walk the streets at night and see them come out to eat the garbage. I used to park by the Narrows in Brooklyn as a lover's lane and see the rats coming out of the rocks to go into the garbage pails. I remember thinking rats just didn't come that big. Rumor is that if the city does anything to poison the millions of rats, they will panic and come into the streets and cause a plague.

[frank-e1]

I heard for awhile that the City was thinking of replacing all of the attorneys with rats until they found out that there's some things rats just won't do!

[mgpm-2009]

People need to be meticulous about their garbage or they need to be fined heavily and repeatedly. They cannot leave trash out in just bags. That's like saying "Dinner is served!" New Yorkers really need to take their trash seriously or there very well could be a plague. If there is something a rat could carry, NYC would be very hard hit.

[randalds]

Worst KFC in America? Not in NYC. It's in Weatherford OK. I lived in Weatherford for 18 months a few years ago and I swear this KFC was disgusting. Their freezer went out and all of the chicken thawed and then they got it fixed, re-froze the chicken and cooked and sold it. I went in there one time and the roof was leaking during the rain right in to the salad bar. I was manager of a hotel there (before I returned to sanity and came back to Los Angeles) and I always warned incoming out of down guests to stay away from that place. The moral of the story is to not trust any fast food place. Look around and get a good feel for the place before you eat what they serve.

[musty2u]

The rats are only lookin' for the trans fat locker

[neojoker]

eewwwwwww

[neojoker]

eeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[ultramafic23]

ooooooowwwweeeeeeeeee grosssssssssssss

[elgraz]

Hooray for the Rondentia !!!!!!!!! Kick human arse.

[fryedbread]

Which location was it? I know I've eaten there. :(

[neojoker]

I'm not really hungry today. I'll just take 2 rat tur*s and a coke please. Oh, You only have Pepsi? Well that's okay.

[bildooreilly]

When I was a teenager I worked at a donut shop for a few months that had roaches everywhere, roaches crawling all over the racks of donuts, roaches in the flour mixes. I've never seen so many roaches in my life. This place delivered donuts every morning to almost every gas station, convenience store, and hotel in town. I didn't eat donuts for years after that, and I'm still not too crazy about them.

BTW, if you got salmonella poisoning from the peter pan peanut butter like I did, contact your county health department, don't throw the peanut butter out, don't take it back to the store, bag it as evidence, take it to the health department with you and they will have it tested. The articles about it won't tell you this.

[pepperwood2]

Not all rats make their home or settle in just NYC.

This can't be happening, I,m sure this has something to do with Global Warming?

[imho3]

But Musty2u, they won't find transfats at KFC. Remember they did away with the transfats. Now, don't you feel better about eating at KFC?

[tuckerndfw]

I hate to break the bad news, but all restaurants have rats running around when no one is there.

It appears these rats are seeking their five minutes of fame. And, the media complied.

Way to go, rats, next stop, American Idol.

[caldwellptr]

if i was a rat, i would live in nyc

[olebd]

Those are the healthiest looking, most well fed rats I have ever seen.

[pepperwood2]

"These customers should have the right to choice to eat anywhere they like." - Mighty Mouse

[elgraz]

Rats make a good stew. Just add a few potatoes and vegetables.

[CBSTV]

I thought I had connected to the CBS News web site -- but when I heard comical music played over the report, I wondered whether this is "Entertainment Tonight" instead.

[twoell76]

Well, I have no sympathy - everyone knows that KFC got it's name because it is no longer serving chicken - just living protein on life support. As far as Taco Bell? Out here in the Southwest (NM) we refer to it as Taco Hell. You Yankees seem to think this is a problem - I wouldn't eat in either store if you paid me.

[nothappyatall]

When you think about it, this is only the one you KNOW about and this is no isolated event by any means.
Rats can get in thru a dime sized hole, they can chew through wood, sheet metal and all kinds of things. Funny thing is, the employees- think about it, nightly rat foraging like this and in the morning a couple of $5.15 an hour dimwits with no education or illegal Mexicans open the restaurant and start cooking, prepping and serving food... how much faith do YOU have these $5.15 an hour dorks actually sanitized every counter-top and surface in the kitchen and dining area with bleach before they prepped the food that became your LUNCH?
Remember, these are the same crowd who can't find Florida on an outline map of the USA for a HS test and use the restroom without washing their hands...

[i_am_shocked]

Hey, don't criticize the Hired Help!!

Those bold, overweight and sassy rats are there to entertain you right there on your table, or under your table, they will greet you at the door and roll around on the counter while you wait and pay for your foot. NY has the fat & happy rats.

And there's no way they will ever, ever ever clean up that mess, there's not enough chlorine in the world. ENJOY!!!

[candojj1]

I'll never forget the day that a giant NYC sewer rat appeared in my dad's Brooklyn restaurant which was packed with diners. It was a small restaurant with booths on both sides and the rat stopped directly in the middle. Kinda comical. My dad ran to get a broom and killed it and all the customers ran for the exit screaming. I was nine. Poor old dad.

[candojj1]

When my dad emigrated to America he opened an egg and butter store in Brooklyn in Brownsville or East New York (Brooklyn). He hired a cat to police for rodents. He sure loved that cat. In those days the fridge where he kept the butter slid up and down. One day when he was closing the fridge, the cat jumped towards the fridge and was decapitated while chasing a rat. Dad sold the store and we moved to a different part of Brooklyn. The rats that followed us were different. They broke into his grocery store through the skylight until my poor old dad payed the cops off.

[effallah]

I once visited NYC long ago, and I didn't see any rats or other vermin, except for the human variety. Anyway, this problem must have something to do with WMD, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, terrorists, and/or Osama Bin-Forgotten. (get a clue Georgie, he's been dead for years) Oh, I forgot...ya' gotta have more than one brain-cell to connect the dots...

[effallah]

I once visited NYC long ago, and I didn't see any rats or other vermin, except for the human variety. Anyway, this problem must have something to do with WMD, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, terrorists, and/or Osama Bin-Forgotten. (get a clue Georgie, he's been dead for years) Oh, I forgot...ya' gotta have more than one brain-cell to connect the dots...

[hermit22]

if you delete the killjoy nonsense from effallah,and newster's mean remarks about hardworking $5.15 hour workers, this has to be the most funny comment line in news history! begin reading at the beginning and laugh and laugh. thank you one and all! read on!

[bildooreilly]

Dallas Cowboy Coach Haley got a rat in his wifes McSalad awhile back and is sueing Mcdonalds for millions. The media hardly reported on it at all...

[drinuk]

Those Rats 'aint just ordinary Rats, they are Bin Laden Rats, illegal immigrants dosed up with the Black Plague, think on folks !

[plowhandle]

They are Republiscum Rats, obviously.

Members of the Republishit Party.

[musty2u]

Only in New York could such a thing transpire long enough to be filmed time and again with no action taken. I would hope that now that over twenty-four hours have elapsed the rodent population in that locale has been seriously decreased.

[nothappyatall]

Hermitt22: I was citing the REALITY, $5.15 an hour teens and immigrants who work in these places are not going to care, why should they, they aren't eating the food or they have rats in their own apartments since they live nearby.

How many teens do you know clean and sanitize their room? it's legendary that teens are sloppy, and a dump like Taco-Bell is going to be a Mexican or teens FIRST job, not the job for an engineer.

This is one reason why you read almost every week about salmonella, ecoli and other food infections- filth, bad food handling practices and employees who don't care.

Years ago I not only lived in Greenwich Village but I've worked in restaurants and know what the kitchens are REALLY like when the inspector is not due for 4 months yet on his annual inspections that always took place the same week each year.
The week before the inspector was due to visit, the place gets a complete cleaning, inspector comes, marks the score, leaves, people go right back to changing money with bare hands and prepping food without washing, "nibbling" out of the make-table bins and so on.

That is nothing less than fact, it happens- I've seen it with my own eyes.

[silver9991]

??Human??citizen - A little full of hate today, aren't we? Go relax.

[musty2u]

Somebody must have spiked humancitizen's cocoa

[eyemdope]

Good point silver9991. When is it going to be recognized that rats are a delicious and nutritious source of protein?!?!

Once this point is recognized, then there will be less issues with articles like this.

[flana1]

You will never get rid of those rats. The best thing Taco/ Bell should do, is close that place for good. It is ruining their brand recognition.
Trying to make things right will keep the thought in the news. End it now and avoid the continued public notice.Pull the franchise and get the sign off the building today. Any P.R. firm will give you that advice. Those rats are throughout the entire block. If you don't want to do that get some saddles and charge for rides! Man those puppies are big!!

[samjudwin]

I second grader who authored the headline for this article needs to look up "horde" in a dictionary.
I suppose if your writing was bad you would resort to deceptive practices to draw attention.
Typical media hype (read lies)

[fitedafuture]

rats surfacing could only mean one thing,they are aware of catastrophic events about to take place.

samjudwin what exactly do you think a horde is? maybe you need to look it up

[knyghtwolf]

Do like White Castle does, use them for the meat in their hamburgers.

[grazinggoat]

Rats make a good stew. Just add a few potatoes and vegetables.
Posted by elgraz

-And present it to mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Republican who made this city rotten like a dump.

Michael Bloomberg, are you waiting for Superman to clean it up? Only a SuperRat of the Ninja Turtle'S serie will pop up to your help...

[grazinggoat]

"I love to eat at KFC, but this is disgusting," said Tameeka St. Jean.

A good advice to Tameeka, check if the piece of chicken has a chop suey stick, then it's not chicken...