Eating out with friends is a great way to socialize and have some fun. The customer trusts the establishment to prepare and serve the food properly. The restaurant puts faith in the customer to behave respectfully and honestly. Sometimes, this symbiotic relationship gets muddy.
Thomas Howie is alleging that on March 11, 2023, he discovered a rat’s foot in his bowl of minestrone soup at an Olive Garden in Warren, Michigan. On August 18, 2023, he filed a lawsuit requesting $25,000 in damages for physical injury and emotional distress over the incident. Olive Garden’s parent company, Darden Restaurants, denies the incident actually took place.
Thomas claims he was enjoying his soup with large chunks of tomatoes and catching up with friends. He put a spoonful in his mouth and suddenly felt a stabbing pain. He spit out the soup and was so horrified at what he saw he threw up. No one wants to see a rat foot in their food.
He was disappointed with how the restaurant handled the situation and filed a police report.
“We have no reason to believe there is any validity to this claim,” a Darden spokesperson stated. The organization cites several reasons for this stance. It asserts the rat foot in the photos does not show signs of being cooked or any red coloring from the soup. The restaurant was inspected two days after the incident by the Macomb County Health Department, which found no signs of any rodents. The restaurant's pest control company visited the establishment the same day as the incidents and also found no rodents.
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Thomas is being represented by Daniel A. Gwinn and Laura Bradshaw-Tucker of Troy, Michigan firm Gwinn Legal PLLC. “We tried to work this out and avoid litigation, but Olive Garden refuses to acknowledge the serious nature of the incident, the threat food contamination poses to public health, and the ongoing harm Mr. Howie is experiencing,” Daniel stated. Since the incident, Thomas has “become paranoid about dining at any restaurant where he cannot closely observe his food being prepared,” which has taken a toll on his social life.
