Tim Hortons has issued an apology to guests in the aftermath of a viral video of a mouse scurrying across a Napanee restaurant’s food preparation counter.
The video, which has been viewed 1.8 million times after first being posted to TikTok last week, shows the rodent exploring the kitchen area and eventually diving nose-first into a steel food and beverage container on July 20. The incident occurred near a rack of beverage syrups and next to what appears to be a coffee preparation area.
The Tim Hortons store has since been closed for “deep cleaning” and a consultation with a pest control company, according to the restaurant chain.
In a statement to CP24, representatives for Tim Hortons said they were “extremely disappointed” to see the video, particularly because the Napanee location had recently passed a third-party inspection with no issues.
“Nevertheless, we have zero tolerance for these types of issues and immediately ordered that the restaurant be closed,” the statement continued.
“The restaurant owners are committed to providing excellent guest experience in their restaurants and they are just as disappointed as we are that this unfortunate incident occurred. They apologize to their loyal guests and have been working diligently to rectify this isolated incident and ensure nothing similar happens again.”
Tim Hortons says that they believe the mouse gained access to the restaurant “through a small crevice, which has now been sealed.”
It is not clear when the location will reopen.
“We have a team working with the owner on-site and the restaurant will not re-open until we are assured that all our strict standards have been met,” the statement notes.
With files from Chris Fox
