Slim Chickens Faces Backlash After Customer Finds Roach in Chicken Tender

A fast food joint in the Florida panhandle found itself at the center of a viral social media post after a customer discovered a roach cooked into her food. Haile Kirkland was eating at the recently opened Slim Chickens location on Nine Mile Road in Pensacola when she discovered the unwelcome addition to her chicken tender. Kirkland shared a video of the roach on Facebook, and it quickly went viral, being shared almost 1,500 times since Feb. 16.

Kirkland’s post caught the attention of an anonymous employee who sent her videos of roaches crawling in various parts of the kitchen. Thousands of people came into contact with Kirkland’s post, but the state authorities were not aware of the issue until they were contacted for comment. On Tuesday, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation visited the restaurant and observed nearly 20 dead roaches in the store. However, a follow-up inspection on Wednesday found no violations.

The owner of the location responded to the incident, stating that his team had responded swiftly and that all health and safety precautions had been evaluated. The location’s owner told WEAR Pensacola that he had met with the local pest elimination company the following morning at the restaurant to thoroughly inspect the premises and provide further pest elimination treatment. Although the restaurant believes all pest activity has been resolved, they will continue to come out weekly to monitor and provide additional treatments as needed.

The owner also stated that the health inspector had arrived on Tuesday for an inspection and found dead insects from the treatments. He returned the following day, and the restaurant was approved with no issues or violations. The owner also reached out to Kirkland, offering a sincere apology, a full refund, and $100 in gift cards – including $50 to Slim Chickens.

While Kirkland said she appreciated the response from the restaurant, she would only return once it has been proven to be clean. Kirkland’s experience highlights the importance of cleanliness in the food industry and the potential impact social media can have on a business. With one post, Kirkland’s experience was shared thousands of times, resulting in a loss of reputation and trust for the restaurant.

Businesses must ensure that they follow all health and safety regulations and take necessary measures to prevent pests and other issues that can impact the safety and cleanliness of their premises. Kirkland’s experience also shows the importance of having a crisis management plan in place to quickly and effectively respond to incidents that can damage a business’s reputation. 

Feature Image: Ginny