In brief
Sukiya, one of Japan's leading restaurant chains, is temporarily closing its nearly 2,000 outlets for deep cleaning after pest incidents, including a rat in miso soup, were reported by customers.
One of Japan's most prominent food chains, Sukiya, has initiated a temporary closure of its restaurants to conduct thorough cleaning and address pest-related issues following alarming incidents reported by its customers. The chain, recognized for its popular beef-on-rice dishes, confirmed that a rat was found in a bowl of miso soup earlier in January, an incident that was only disclosed recently amidst growing online discussions.The recent closure was triggered by another incident where a customer discovered an insect, allegedly a cockroach, in their meal at one of its Tokyo locations. In response, Sukiya announced that most of its outlets would close from March 31 to April 4 to effectively manage and prevent any further pest infestations.In an official statement, Sukiya expressed its sincere apologies for the inconvenience and distress caused to its customers. The management team has pledged to conduct regular inspections of all restaurant facilities, ensuring that gaps are secured and waste is appropriately stored to deter pests.Following the revelation of the rat sighting, Sukiya's parent company, Zensho Holdings, saw its stock price fluctuate, highlighting the impact of health and safety issues on consumer trust and investor confidence. As the company works to resolve these issues, customers and stakeholders remain watchful of its efforts to restore credibility in its food safety protocols.
