Fast-food chain McDonald’s has been granted a health inspection in one of its locations after a customer alleged that the restaurant served them their breakfast order with a side of crack to go.
The McDonald’s, which is located in Columbus, Ohio, was shut down temporarily by the Columbus Public Health department after a customer on Dec. 19 ordered two breakfast meals through the drive-thru window and allegedly found a crack pipe nestled inside of the bag that contained his order.
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The customer allegedly posted on Reddit about the experience where they claimed that they notified the manager after finding the crack pipe and was told that no one that he knows of was smoking crack at the store.
The customer also claimed they contacted their local police department, but was allegedly told that there was “nothing they can do” and to “get a attorney and sue.”
In an emailed statement to TheStreet, Alex Mendoza, local McDonald’s franchisee, claims that the restaurant’s recent closure was related to a “dust issue.”
“We temporarily closed this restaurant after a health department inspection identified a dust issue related to an ongoing remodel project in our lobby,” wrote Mendoza. “We took immediate action to remedy this matter, and the restaurant reopened at 11:45 this morning.”
Mendoza also claims in the statement that the temporary closure was “not in any way related to the customer’s report of a crack pipe on 12/19.”
He also said that the company is currently investigating the customer’s allegations, but has so far found no evidence that the alleged crack pipe came from the restaurant.
“After reviewing security footage and interviewing employees, we’ve found nothing that suggests this item came from the restaurant – but we are continuing to investigate and have contacted local law enforcement to report the matter,” he wrote.
The Columbus Public Health department did not immediately respond to TheStreet’s record request that details its health inspection findings of the restaurant.
Even though crack, which is a solid form of cocaine that is highly addictive and deadly, was heavily prevalent in the United States during ‘80s, its use in Ohio has been on a rise in recent years.
In 2020, 9.3% of seized drugs in Ohio was cocaine; that percentage has since ballooned to 20.9% in 2023, according to a recent report from Harm Reduction Ohio.
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