A Dunkin' location in Boston was forced to temporarily close after a video of a rat eating its way through one of the wrapped bakery carts went viral and sparked health concerns.
The video triggered an inspection of the Dunkin' at the Back Bay MBTA station, according to the Boston Inspection Services Department, which yielded 18 health code violations described as "gross unsanitary conditions."
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WATCH HEREInspectors found multiple rat droppings on site and a live cockroach in the refrigerator, according to the report. They also observed a lack of handwashing in between tasks, several sources of contamination, soiled flooring and a leaking pipe.
Video of the rat — which Dunkin' said was in in a cart that had been outside the location and inside the T station itself — prompted some shocked reactions from people in the area.
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SIGN UP "I mean, that was a big rat. He looks like he's been eating a lot of donuts," said one customer after seeing the video.
"It's kind of gross, because I work right here, so we've been getting our coffees here forever," another said. "Hopefully they clean it up because this is a station everyone comes in all the time."
As of Tuesday, the director of the Inspection Services Department said, all of the violations had been corrected and the suspension of Dunkin's permit was lifted. It is unclear when the shop will reopen for customers.
According to records, the location was last inspected on Jan. 13 and no violations were found. That followed an inspection on Jan. 3 in which inspectors cited unclean counters, an unclean ceiling vent above the oven and a loose ceiling panel.
Read more of Dunkin's statement on the video and the location's temporary closure:
"To clarify, the bakery rack shown in the video was not inside the Dunkin' location but left outside the security gate within the MBTA station. While isolated, this incident did not meet with our stringent food safety standards," the statement said. "As a result, the franchised location is temporarily closed and working with the health department to ensure all standards are met before reopening."
