Three customers at a Chili’s restaurant in North Carolina suffered chemical burns after drinking margaritas made with an industrial cleaning product that had been mistaken for sugar.
The alarming mix-up occurred Wednesday at the chain’s Forest City location, leaving three diners with painful injuries in and around their mouths.
Two employees also developed similar symptoms after tasting the substance, bringing the total number of people affected to five.
According to health officials, a worker preparing the bar for lunch service unknowingly used a powerful degreasing chemical that had been placed in an unmarked container.
The incident led authorities to suspend the restaurant’s food service permit while they investigated how a potentially hazardous cleaning product came to be used in cocktails.
For regular Chili’s customer Levonne Baker, the episode sounded more like a horror film than a routine visit to a local restaurant.
‘I was beyond surprised and almost scared,’ Baker told local broadcaster News 13.
‘It’s like a Wes Craven story that’s coming to life. I mean, you don’t get margaritas that can burn your skin.’
Three customers suffered chemical burns to their mouths after drinking margaritas at this Chili’s restaurant in Forest City, North Carolina
Investigators from the Foothills Health District have reconstructed a troubling chain of events that began two days before the customers became ill.
On Monday, October 26, a contractor was power-washing the restaurant’s exterior when an employee received what officials called a ‘granulated degreasing chemical.’
Rather than keeping the substance in a clearly labeled chemical container away from food and beverages, it was transferred to an unmarked receptacle.
Preliminary findings from health officials indicate that the container was then taken inside and left in the bar area.
It remained there until Wednesday morning, when an employee found it while preparing the bar for service.
Believing the granules were sugar, the worker used them while setting up the restaurant’s margarita station.
The error came to light only after three customers ordered the tequila-based drinks.
The diners ‘immediately experienced discomfort’ after taking sips of their margaritas, according to the Foothills Health District.
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A cleaning chemical was mistaken for sugar. The three diners immediately experienced painful reactions after sipping their cocktails along with two employees who tasted the drinks
They sustained chemical burns inside and around their mouths, alerting restaurant staff before leaving to obtain medical care.
Two employees then tasted the contents of the container in an attempt to identify what had gone wrong. They quickly developed similar symptoms.
All five people were affected by the same chemical exposure, though officials have not released details about the severity of their injuries.
Megan Rollins, a spokesperson for the Foothills Health District, confirmed that everyone affected received treatment.
‘I’m not sure what degree of chemical burns they had, but they went to urgent care and were treated there,’ she said.
Authorities have not identified the specific degreasing product involved or said whether any of the victims suffered long-term harm.
Following the incident, local health officials immediately suspended the Chili’s food service permit while environmental health specialists inspected the restaurant.
Staff were instructed to thoroughly wash, rinse and sanitize food preparation areas, equipment and surfaces that could have been contaminated.
Baker, who frequently visits Chili’s, said the incident made him question whether he would feel safe returning to the restaurant’s bar.
Health officials temporarily shut down the Chili’s location following the shocking mix-up, but the restaurant was allowed to reopen the following day after passing food safety inspections
‘It has made me a little nervous about going back to the bar because it’s like, what’s in there next?’ he said. ‘I mean, am I going to be the next person who’s going next door? And not for an oil change.’
The restaurant was cleared to reopen on Thursday.
Chili’s called the incident an isolated event and said it was investigating while supporting the people who were affected.
The Foothills Health District said the episode highlights the potentially serious consequences of improperly labeling and storing chemicals.
The agency emphasized that hazardous substances must be clearly marked and stored separately from anything intended for human consumption.
