Hawaii burger chain closes restaurant after Snapchat video appears to show rat cooked on grill

The restaurant should re-open once it is cleaned and equipment is replaced.

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A burger restaurant in Hawaii has shut down for cleaning following a leaked video of employees cooking what appears to be a rat or mouse on the grill.

The Snapchat video shows two workers next to a grill at what is supposedly Teddy’s Bigger Burger in Mapunapuna. One employee flips over something grey with a long tail on the grill, and another says “Hi, welcome to Teddy’s.”

The burger chain responded to the video by firing the employees and immediately closing the restaurant for cleaning, the president of the company said in a statement.

The Hawaii Department of Health is scheduled to examine the restaurant. Officials at Teddy’s Bigger Burgers plans to investigate if the video is real and replace utensils and equipment, and to send a team to investigate before re-opening the restaurant.

"We are horrified that a former teenage employee would conduct themselves in that way and make such a video of which we are investigating its authenticity," Richard Stula, the president of Teddy's Bigger Burgers, said in a statement to the Associated Press.

The chain manager also plans to hire a pest control operator to determine whether there is a rodent infestation. They are in touch with an attorney and considering legal action against the former employees.

The restaurant got a passing grade during their last inspection in June, the Guardian reported.