Three customers and two employees suffered chemical burns after a cleaning product was mistakenly used in margaritas at a Chili’s Grill & Bar in Forest City, North Carolina. The Foothills Health District said the substance was a granulated degreasing chemical that had been placed in an unlabeled container. The restaurant was temporarily closed, then allowed to reopen after inspectors reviewed the incident and required cleaning. The health district said its investigation was closed and no fines were issued.
NBC News reported on November 2 that the incident occurred on October 28. According to the health district, an employee preparing the bar for lunch service found an unlabeled container and believed its contents were sugar. The employee used the chemical at the margarita station. Three customers who ordered drinks shortly after the restaurant opened experienced discomfort and chemical burns in and around their mouths.
Two restaurant employees later tasted the substance and reported similar symptoms. The health district’s account identified three affected customers and two employees. The exact chemical name was not disclosed in the reports.
The health district said that on the morning of October 26, a restaurant employee received a granulated degreasing chemical from a contractor who was power-washing the building’s exterior. The employee placed the substance in an unlabeled container. For reasons that were not explained in the public account, the container was brought inside and left in the bar area.
Two days later, another employee mistook the contents for sugar and used it in preparing the margarita station. The sequence described by investigators points to failures in labeling, storage and communication. The available reporting does not identify the chemical’s brand or provide a full internal account of how the container was moved.
After the exposure, the restaurant was shut down while health officials addressed the contamination risk. WBTV reported that inspectors required staff to thoroughly wash, rinse and sanitize affected food-preparation areas and equipment. The health district later reinstated the restaurant’s food-service permit.
NBC News said the restaurant reopened the following day. A health district spokesperson said the investigation had been closed and that no fines were issued. The reports do not describe any additional enforcement action against the restaurant or the contractor.
The health district said three customers and two employees experienced symptoms. A Chili’s spokesperson described the incident as one that resulted in injuries to two guests and team members, without explaining the difference between the company’s count and the health district’s account.
The health district said the injured people received medical treatment, but its spokesperson did not have information about their conditions. The company said it took immediate action to support those affected and address the circumstances at the Forest City location. The differing counts should remain attributed to the respective sources rather than being treated as a resolved discrepancy.
The Foothills Health District said the incident highlights the importance of proper chemical labeling, storage and handling in food-service establishments. Cleaning products should be kept in clearly marked containers and separated from ingredients used to prepare food and drinks.
The publicly described sequence involved a contractor providing the chemical, an employee placing it in an unlabeled container and another employee mistaking it for sugar. The health district did not disclose the chemical’s exact identity or every internal procedure involved.
Chili’s said the incident was isolated to its Forest City restaurant and that it had addressed the issues specific to that location. The available reports do not establish whether the injured people have fully recovered or whether any civil claims will follow. The confirmed facts are that five people were affected according to the health district, the restaurant reopened after inspection, and no fines were issued.