Sukiya, one of Japan’s largest restaurant chains, is temporarily closing its outlets for extensive cleaning after two separate incidents involving pests in customers’ food. The decision comes after very disturbing recent reports of a rat and an insect, apparently a cockroach, found in food products at their stores. Only swift action could begin to protect against these grave health risks. The purpose of the closures is to abate the imminent hazards posed by external encroachment, as well as internal harborage and infestation of pests and vermin.
The controversy initially erupted after the discovery of a rat in a bowl of miso soup in January. Now there’s hope that the rodent will be spotted before the soup is served. Sukiya’s initial response included temporarily shutting a restaurant in Tottori to tackle building cracks that could lead to further contamination.
After these episodes, Sukiya’s stock value suffered — though it rebounded quite quickly within the week. Sukiya itself runs close to 2,000 of these restaurants all over Japan. It’s owned by Zensho Holdings, one of Japan’s largest companies and one of the country’s largest operators of restaurant chains.
Nearly all of Sukiya’s outlets will be closed from March 31 to April 4 for deep cleaning. The company’s goal is to prevent these kinds of situations from happening again, taking steps to prevent pests from entering the building in the first place.
“to prevent external intrusion and internal infestation of pests and vermin” – Sukiya
The mini-recall highlights the company’s increased focus on ensuring cleanliness of public places and on rebuilding the confidence of its customers. This decision is considered a proactive step to protect its reputation and customer health.