A Pittsburgh man said that Burger King sold his girlfriend's 4-year-old son a burger infested with ants.
Jairis Davis, a resident of Pittsburgh, told WPXI that he went to a Burger King branch in the city's South Side neighborhood to buy food for his girlfriend's children. When he gave the burger to the 4-year-old boy, however, the child returned it immediately.
"He opened it up and said, 'Mom I don't want this, there are bugs in it,'" Davis told WPXI. "I said, 'No, there's no bugs in there.' Then I saw the ants crawling on the bottom bun and I took it right back."
After Davis complained, the restaurant gave him a refund and offered to make another burger for him, which he declined.
Davis's girlfriend filed a complaint with the Allegheny County Health Department on Jan. 4.
Officials from the health department are now investigating the situation to determine whether the Burger King restaurant where the ant-filled burger was purchased will need an inspection. The investigation will reportedly take five business days.
The last inspection of the restaurant took place in April 2015.
The restaurant's manager said there were no ants or bugs in the establishment and that monthly inspections of the branch have turned up clean.
Prior inspection records show that the restaurant has incurred only one "high risk" violation in regards to the temperature of the refrigerator, a problem that was corrected immediately.
When notified of the incident, Burger King corporate released the following statement:
Food quality is top priority at all Burger King (R) restaurants. We have spoken with the franchisee that owns and operates this restaurant, and he has assured us that they practice all local health department and brand food quality procedures and prescribe monthly preventative care with a reputable national provider. Most recent documentation shows a pest-free restaurant as of 12.29.15. The guest immediately had his money refunded and the franchisee is currently having the restaurant re-inspected.
This is not the first time a Burger King establishment in Pittsburgh's South Side district has drawn controversy.
In February 2014, customers complained that a Burger King restaurant in the same neighborhood did not appear to be selling Burger King food, according to another WPXI article.
Managers eventually explained that the restaurant was in the process of transitioning into a new franchise called "South Side Burgers" and had neglected to take down the old Burger King sign.