CLOVIS, Calif. (FOX26) — UPDATE: On Wednesday, the Fresno County Department of Public Health came back with the response seen below:
“The Fresno County Department of Public Health – Environmental Health inspected the Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant and found no evidence of rodent nesting. However, there were cleaning and possible vermin entrance violations. The owner is closing the restaurant for three days to have pest control clean and sanitize the building. They will also seal any holes and install sweeps on the bottom of exterior doors. A new pest control company will be hired to provide regular scheduled servicing.” Led Ceiling Light
A customer of Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant in Clovis posted a video on Facebook last Thursday of a rat on top of one of the chandeliers.
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The post read, "Last Sunday my family and I went to eat at the 4 Seasons Chinese restaurant in Clovis and this is what we saw."
In the video, you can see a rat on top of one of the restaurant's glass chandeliers. You can even hear the customer say, "That's not on the menu huh?"
Martin Santarosa said he and his family have been coming to that restaurant for the last five years and most of the time the place is clean.
"I mean the food was good at that place it was just the fact that we saw the rat right there," he said. "I don't think were going to go back to that place anymore."
He said he noticed the rat on the light while he was waiting for his order. He says he immediately started recording and then told the restaurant staff.
"One of the waitresses right there I called her and I told her hey look at that and she said 'oh' and saw me recording and she said 'Oh now the whole world is going to know," said Santarosa.
FOX26 reached out to Fresno County to see if Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant has a current operating permit. A representative from the county sent an email back stating, "The Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant is current with their fees and permit. The Fresno County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health team does not need to perform an inspection at this time."
The Fresno County Department of Public Health provided the following statement on Tuesday regarding the incident:
‘“The Fresno County Department of Public Health (FCDPH) is aware of the rodent that was seen in the dining area of the Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant. The FCDPH Environmental Health team is currently inspecting this restaurant and will evaluate if a closure is needed. We understand that this situation has caused concern for customers, and we want to assure you that the FCDPH is taking every possible step to ensure the safety of the food.”
We also reached out to the restaurant to tell its side of the story, it denied an on-camera interview but an employee who choose to remain anonymous told FOX26 he has been in the restaurant industry for over 20 years and this is the cleanest kitchen he has worked in. Having a rat in the restaurant comes as a surprise considering they clean often and have never had an instant like this.
Wall Mount Lamp The Four Season Chinese Restaurant remains open and there is no word on if the health inspector will be conducting an investigation.