Popeyes Shuts Down Restaurant After Video Shows Cockroaches Crawling on Food Order
A Popeyes store has been shut down after a DoorDash driver made an alarming discovery.
The DoorDash driver, who didn't want to be identified, was at a Detroit Popeyes location to pick up an order when she says she noticed cockroaches "crawling on several orders." That's when she decided to start recording.
She alerted the customer who she was picking up the food for to let him know what was going on so that he could get a refund before posting the video to social media.
The DoorDash employee also alerted a worker to the cockroaches, saying she hasn't seen anything like it in her two years of working as a delivery driver.
It was just like all over the counter, all over the utensils and all over the bags and things like that. I was definitely surprised. I was caught off guard. I was shocked. I was disgusted. I just couldn’t believe that they were even open and working in those conditions
As you would expect, the shocking video spread like wildfire after it was posted online.
The clip caught the attention of the Detroit Health Department which sent an inspector to the Popeyes location where they did indeed find "evidence of cockroaches."
Local management made a voluntary call to shut down the restaurant for deep cleaning as soon as they caught wind of the video. A spokesperson for Popeyes called the conditions "completely unacceptable," adding that the restaurant (owned by a local franchisee) will remain closed “until it can provide our guests with the Popeyes standards and service they deserve.”
According to multiple reports, the DoorDash driver was torn over her decision to out the cockroach problem because shutting down the Popeyes store will mean no income for workers during the holiday, but she knows she's doing them a favor by improving their work conditions and the safety of those who eat at the restaurant.
If it wasn’t for me… this business would still be open. They would still be running today. I feel bad for the staff because it’s holiday moments, and I know they probably need their income. But at the same time, I don’t want them working in those conditions because that’s awful.s
The restaurant is inspected every six months (due to serving chicken) and has had no prior issues to the best of the health department's knowledge.
There is currently no timetable for when the restaurant will reopen.