Starbucks branch in Boston reopens after viral rat video forced closure
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- A Starbucks branch in Boston has reopened after passing health inspections following a viral TikTok video showing rats inside its food display case.
A Starbucks branch inside Boston’s South Station train terminal has officially reopened after passing a final health inspection following a viral pest incident.
The coffee kiosk was temporarily shut down on July 17 after a video posted to TikTok, which gained over 228,000 views, showed multiple rats crawling across the cash registers and eating baked goods, including biscotti, left inside a display case overnight. City health inspectors responding to the footage found fruit flies inside the case and rodent droppings in lower cabinets.
The store manager acknowledged an employee had mistakenly failed to clear the display case at closing, leading the city's Inspectional Services Department (ISD) to suspend the store's food permit due to immediate health hazards.
The store remained closed earlier in the week when a follow-up inspection on Tuesday, July 21, uncovered three dead mice on glue traps. ISD officials mandated that the third-party licensee operating the kiosk complete pest extermination, retrain staff on nightly closing procedures, and thoroughly sanitize all surfaces before re-evaluation.
During a third inspection on Wednesday, July 22, city inspectors reported zero pest activity and full sanitary compliance, reinstating the store's food permit. The kiosk resumed serving commuters on Thursday, July 23.
Starbucks stated that all locations, including third-party operators, are held to strict cleanliness standards, while city inspectors plan routine follow-up visits to ensure compliance.
