FINANCIAL DISTRICT — Salad chain Chop’t reopened Wednesday morning, a day after a customer reportedly found a dead rat in his lunch, prompting the restaurant to shut down.
The unidentified man screamed when he saw the whiskered face of a rat in his wrap, delivered to his office from the 80 Pine St. location of Chop’t, a co-worker told Gothamist, which first reported the incident.
The owners of the chain, known for its organic and locally sourced ingredients, quickly apologized and refunded the customer's money, telling him they thought the rat may have been placed in the wrap by a disgruntled employee, according to Gothamist.
Owners Tony Shure and Colin McCabe also apologized on Chop't's website, saying they were dedicated to the cleanliness of their restaurant, which received an A rating from the Health Department during its most recent inspection.
“Nothing can describe what goes through the minds and hearts of all of us at Chop’t in a moment like this,” they wrote. “Our vigilance for delicious and safe food has never wavered since we first opened our doors back in 2001.”
The owners said they temporarily shut down the location Tuesday so they could inspect the eatery and that they also requested an inspection from the Health Department.
Levi Fishman, a spokesman for the Health Department told DNAinfo New York that the agency inspected the location this morning and they found no "signs of vermin or conditions conducive to vermin."
