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Manhattan Chipotle Workers Bombarded By Ginormous Rats, Storefront Overrun
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Dec 9, 2020
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By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Dec 9, 2020
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An army of blood-thirsty and guac-hungry rats are chewing their way through a Manhattan Chipotle, according to freaked out workers who say management failed to act even after they were bitten.
The "gruesome" rodents have battered the fast-casual chain's 4009 Broadway location in Washington Heights for weeks, the NY Post first reported. To date, four employees there say they've been bitten.
Despite repeated complaints, workers say Chipotle did nothing, leaving them no choice but to fight back against the vermin with brooms, boxes and their feet.
"I killed two rats with a stick," said Luis Gustavo Paulino Ruiz in a statement provided by his union, 32BJ. "I felt uncomfortable every day and my coworkers and I were all scared of getting bitten. Then, moving boxes one day, I got bitten. It was terrifying."
Chipotle closed the location and hired an exterminator after the rats gnawed through the digital ordering system's wiring late last month — but still required employees to come in and help clean, according to the union.
A spokesperson for Chipotle did not respond to Gothamist's inquiries. In a statement provided to the Post, Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s corporate affairs and food safety officer, said, “The health and safety of our employees and guests is our top priority. The Columbia Presbyterian restaurant located at 4009 Broadway in New York has been mainly closed since November 23rd due to a pest problem affecting the immediate area. During this time, we have arranged an emergency pest service and deep cleaning and are working with the landlord directly to ensure location improvements are met before reopening.”
Chipotle employee Melvin Paulino said he saw "chew marks on avocados" after returning to the location last Friday, and killed a rat by stomping on it. He was bitten shortly after. "I’ve washed my finger a thousand times and still I can’t even bear to look at it," he said. "It’s not right that Chipotle didn’t keep us safe from getting bitten by rats.”
Workers have also alleged that the company failed to comply with paid sick leave laws at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. In October, employees at a Bronx Chipotle walked off the job after management allegedly failed to tell them that a staff member had tested positive for the virus.
Citywide rat complaints dipped at the start of the coronavirus crisis, but have since returned to their pre-pandemic levels.
Bobby Corrigan, a leading NYC rodentologist, told Gothamist that New Yorkers should expect rats are "working harder" to find food as a result of pandemic restrictions, which reduced their dependable trash supply and dealt a "shock to their system."
Provided a photo of one seemingly enormous rat clinging to a Chipotle bag, Corrigan described the creature as "large for sure...but nothing too extraordinary as it goes in an established rat population."
He estimated the rat's weight at 1.5 pounds — for reference, the same as a Chipotle burrito stuffed with queso, sour cream, and guac.
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Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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