A routine lunch hour at a North Carolina restaurant turned dangerous when a bar employee mistakenly mixed a potent cleaning chemical into a round of margaritas, sending three customers to urgent care with chemical burns.
The dangerous mix-up occurred on Wednesday at the Chili’s Grill & Bar location in Forest City. According to findings from the Foothills Health District, the incident began two days prior when a building contractor power-washing the exterior left behind a supply of granulated degreaser. An establishment worker placed the industrial substance into an unlabeled container and left it sitting in the active bar area.
While preparing the bar for lunch service on Wednesday, another employee came across the container, mistook the white granulated degreaser for sugar, and used it to craft cocktails. Three patrons ordered the drinks and experienced immediate physical discomfort, suffering chemical burns in and around their mouths. The affected customers quickly notified restaurant staff before departing to seek medical treatment.
The danger did not stop at the bar stools. Two restaurant employees subsequently tasted the mystery substance remaining in the container to investigate, and both developed similar symptoms.
Megan Rollins, a spokesperson for the Foothills Health District, confirmed that the injured patrons sought treatment at an urgent care facility. Local regular customer Levonne Baker expressed shock over the contamination, comparing the ordeal to a horror scenario and noting that the incident has made him apprehensive about patronizing the establishment’s bar in the future.
Local health authorities launched an immediate investigation into the mishap and suspended the restaurant’s food service permit. Inspectors ordered staff to thoroughly wash and sanitize all impacted food preparation surfaces, equipment, and areas.
By Thursday morning, environmental health specialists completed their review and determined the restaurant met all applicable food safety requirements, allowing the health district to reinstate the establishment’s operating permit. Jason Masters, director of the Foothills Health District, emphasized that the episode underscores the critical need for proper chemical labeling, secure storage, and rigorous handling protocols in commercial food service operations to prevent dangerous contamination and safeguard public health.
