Chicago Burger King Closed for Insect Infestation

Chicago Burger King

My Fox Chicago: Do you want flies with that? The city has closed a South Side Burger King with so many flying insects that inspectors were “afraid to open their mouths.”

The Dumpster Task Force closed the Burger King at 1701 W. 95th St. Tuesday because of a flying insect problem so bad that one inspector said they were afraid to open their mouths during the inspection, according to a statement from the city’s Department of Streets & Sanitation.

More than 200 flying insects of various types were found throughout the eatery on the walls, ceilings, clean dish shelving, around the sink, in the food storage area, in a dry storage area, on the tubing of boxes of soft drink syrup and in front of the drive-up window, the city said. A wasp nest was also found just over the rear door.

Additionally, an outside grease container was encrusted with grease on the lip and grip, and grease was found splattered on the ground and on the wall behind the container, the city said.

“Pest control was woefully inadequate and poor housekeeping fueled the infestation of flying insects at the Burger King near 95th and Ashland,” said Josie Cruz, deputy commissioner of Street & Sanitation’s Bureau of Rodent Control. “We closed this location for the critical violation of inadequate pest control and they won’t be allowed to reopen until they clean and pest-proof their restaurant, revamp their pest control and housekeeping plans, and then pass a tough re-inspection.”

The Dumpster Task Force, created in 1994 to assist with the enforcement of sanitation code, learned of the insect problem from a complaint.