North Carolina health officials ordered corrective cleaning after an unlabeled degreaser was mistaken for a bar ingredient and exposed five people.
FOREST CITY, N.C. — Health officials reinstated the food service permit for a Forest City Chili’s after temporarily suspending operations when a cleaning chemical stored in an unlabeled container was mistakenly used at the restaurant’s margarita station, resulting in chemical burns reported by three customers and two employees.
The Foothills Health District said environmental health specialists completed their investigation Oct. 29 and determined the restaurant met applicable food safety requirements following cleaning and corrective measures. The permit suspension had been issued immediately after officials learned of the Oct. 28 exposure, making chemical labeling and storage a central focus of the investigation.
According to the health district’s preliminary findings, the sequence began Oct. 26 as a contracted worker power-washed the exterior of the restaurant. A restaurant employee received a granulated degreasing chemical from the worker and transferred it into an unlabeled container. Officials said the container was then brought into the restaurant and left in the bar area.
Two days later, an employee preparing the bar for lunch service found the container and believed the substance was an ingredient used for margaritas, health officials said. The chemical was then used while preparing the margarita station. Three customers who ordered the drinks after the restaurant opened experienced immediate discomfort and chemical burns in and around their mouths.
The customers notified restaurant staff and left to obtain medical care. Megan Rollins, a spokesperson for the Foothills Health District, said the customers were treated at urgent care, but authorities did not release the degree of their burns. The specific cleaning product involved also had not been publicly identified in the reports reviewed.
Two employees subsequently tasted the substance and developed similar symptoms, according to health officials. The district then suspended the restaurant’s food service permit and required staff to wash, rinse and sanitize affected preparation areas, equipment and surfaces before service could resume.
Health Director Jason Masters said proper chemical labeling, storage and handling are required in food service operations to prevent contamination and protect customers. The Forest City incident showed how an unidentified container placed near food or beverage preparation areas can create a risk when its contents are later mistaken for something intended for consumption.
The health district’s response focused not only on the contaminated drink preparation area but also on whether corrective steps had been completed before reopening. Environmental health specialists cleared the restaurant after determining it had satisfied the applicable food safety requirements, and the food service permit was reinstated the day after the exposure.
Chili’s said in subsequent reporting that the incident was isolated to its Forest City location and that the company took steps to support those affected and prevent additional injuries. The company also said it was investigating. Authorities have not publicly named the customers or employees involved, and no information released by health officials indicated that the exposure extended to other Chili’s locations.
The case ended the week with the Forest City restaurant authorized to operate again, but several details remained undisclosed, including the exact degreasing product and the longer-term medical conditions of those exposed. Health officials said the episode demonstrated why chemicals used around restaurants must remain properly identified and separated from food and beverage ingredients.
Author note: Last updated November 1, 2026.