'I Wanted To Cry': Woman Finds Roach Inside Chicken Tender Prompting Investigation of Florida Restaurant Haile Kirkland was dining at Slim Chickens in Pensacola, Florida when she noticed what appeared to be a burnt spot on her husband's chicken tenders.

By Emily Rella

A viral video of a bug-infested chicken sandwich caused so much stir on social media that it prompted an investigation by the Department of Business Regulation after a Florida news outlet covered the footage.

It all started when diner Haile Kirkland visited a Pensacola, Florida location of the fast-food chain Slim Chickens with her husband and noticed something on his food.

"At first I thought it was a burnt spot," Kirkland told local outlet WEAR News 3. "And then when I picked it up I said, 'That's a whole bug.'"

Kirkland said that the manager could not "care less" and called the restaurant's reaction "disgusting and unprofessional," which led a friend of Kirkland's who used to work in the restaurant to send her multiple videos of roaches crawling around the kitchen.

The diner took a video of the roach she found inside her husband's chicken tender along with the other videos a worker had sent her and posted it to Facebook.

"I wanted to cry and it made it worse that the manager didn't care," Kirkland told one Facebook user in the comment section. "He was all, 'Oh it happens.' No, you idiot, it should never happen."

After tagging WEAR in the post, the media outlet reached out to the state department, which then prompted a formal probe by the DBPR that found an alarming 20 dead roaches in the restaurant's kitchen, which the store's owner says were a result of pest elimination treatment.

When the DBPR came for a follow-up check-in the next day, the restaurant was "approved with no issues or violations" and therefore never closed or formally shut down.

"My team was immediately made aware of the complaint, and we responded swiftly to ensure all health & safety precautions were evaluated," said the owner, who is remaining anonymous. "I met with our local pest elimination company the following morning at the restaurant to thoroughly inspect the premises and provide further pest elimination treatment. Although we believe all pest activity has been resolved they will continue to come out weekly to monitor and provide additional treatments as needed."

Kirkland was compensated with over $100 in gift cards, including $50 to Slim Chickens. She also said that she spoke with the owner and received a formal apology and a full refund.

"I'm not gonna lie they have some of the best chicken in town, I just need it to be clean," Kirkland told WEAR, musing over the thought of returning to the restaurant.

Wavy Line
Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Editor's Pick

'Catastrophic': Here's What You Should Know About the Debt Ceiling Crisis — And How a Default Could Impact Your Business
Lock
I Helped Grow 4 Unicorns Over 10 Years That Generated $18 Billion in Online Revenues. Here's What I've Learned.
Lock
Want to Break Bad Habits and Supercharge Your Business? Use This Technique.
Lock
Don't Have Any Clients But Need Customer Testimonials? Follow These 3 Tricks To Boost Your Rep.
Why Are Some Wines More Expensive Than Others? A Top Winemaker Gives a Full-Bodied Explanation.

Related Topics

Business News

'All Hell Is Going to Break Loose': Barbara Corcoran Issues Warning About Real Estate Market, Interest Rates

The "Shark Tank" star appeared on FOX Business' "The Clayman Countdown" this week.

Business News

7 of the 10 Most Expensive Cities to Live in the U.S. Are in One State

A new report by U.S. News found that San Diego is the most expensive city to live in for 2023-2024, followed by Los Angeles. New York City didn't even rank in the top 10.

Money & Finance

3 Ways to Create Multiple (Big) Streams of Income

Here are three ways to create multiple streams of income. These strategies require effort and resources but offer significant financial potential.

Leadership

The Real Reason Why The Return to Office Movement is Failing is Revealed in New Study

There is a vivid sign of the disconnect between employees and their workplace, a glaring indication that companies need to revise their scripts to improve their hybrid and remote work policies.

Science & Technology

She's Been Coding Since Age 7 and Presented Her Life-Saving App to Tim Cook Last Year. Now 17, She's on Track to Solve Even Bigger Problems.

Angelina Tsuboi, a full-stack mobile and web developer who also happens to be a pilot, has always been solution-oriented.

Business News

Roman Roy's 'Succession' T-Shirt Is a $7 Boys Shirt From Walmart — And Now It's Sold Out

Eagle-eyed fans noticed the uncharacteristic wardrobe choice in the series finale.