A day after a video surfaced on Facebook showing a mouse allegedly wandering around the dining area inside Burger King in Maverick Square, the popular burger chain passed an Inspection Services Department (ISD) inspection.
The video posted by Jamie Robin, who was walking by Burger King on Dec. 11, shows one mouse scurrying around the dining area and darting under tables.
The video comes after ISD last month shut down the Dunkin’ Donuts in Maverick Square a few doors down for a host of violations including evidence of mice infestation.
However, ISD sent inspectors down to Burger King on Dec. 12 found no violations at the Maverick Square location.
Comments on Robin’s Facebook post blamed the increase in construction in the Square, coupled with the fact that the restaurants that line Maverick Square’s business district are right above the MBTA’s Blue Line. Construction, especially excavation to lay foundations, has been known to disturb rodent nests. This leads mice and rats to find shelter elsewhere. Also, anyone who has ever taken the T knows there are mice and rats in the subway tunnels.
Pests are a frequent nuisance to virtually every restaurant in Boston, but controlling the problem is paramount and routinely ordered by ISD inspectors when evidence of mice or rats is found.
In the case of Burger King ISD inspectors found no evidence that the one mouse seen in the video was cause for alarm or an indication of an infestation.
The only other blemish on Burger King’s record with the city was back in January when the location was shut down due to a raw sewage backup in the basement. ISD inspectors found a pipe was actively leaking into the basement area. Burger King was ordered to contact a plumber ASAP to repair pipe, which was done and the location reopened.
Last month the Dunkin’ Donuts in Maverick after video shot by Peter Wild surfaced on social media of a half dozen or so mice freeley scurrying around the inside of the coffee shop.
ISD then inspected the Dunkin’ Donuts location and found a whole host of health code violations.
D’Alelio Management Co., operating as RMG Donuts, operates the Dunkin’ Donuts in Maverick, as well as a second location on Bennington Street in Orient Heights.
During their inspection ISD inspectors found evidence of mice and roach infestations, as well as small flies present in the dining area.
ISD also found that the interior of ice machine had visible soils; the outside alleyway area was full of debris, clothes and a blanket on the ground as well as excess leaves preventing full inspection of the exterior wall of the building; the grout on floors in the service were low, allowing for standing water and food debris to get trapped; weather stripping on the bottom of the back door was too high, allowing for gaps to the outdoors; and heavy soils built up and other debris was found on the floor behind equipment and under countertops.
A second inspection the next day showed RMG Donuts had not remedied the health code violations.
After the second ISD inspection Dunkin’ Donuts Corporate filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to strip RMG Donuts of its franchises in Eastie. In the suit Dunkin’ Donuts Corporate argues that RMG Donuts is in violation of its franchise agreement, which requires clean shops.
According to Universal HUB, the suit asked a judge to order RMG Donuts to remove any connection the store in Maverick Square has to the national coffee shop chain.