LENEXA, KAN -
For the second time this month, customers were rushed to the hospital after eating at a Lenexa Mexican restaurant. Paramedics said when they arrived at Mi Ranchito on West 94th Street on Sunday, the sidewalk was real mess from more than 20 people who got sick after eating here.
Mi Ranchito restaurant closed voluntarily Monday, but the State Department of Agriculture also shut the place down until they figure out what caused the illness.
The Health Department says food poisoning usually takes six or more hours before the onset of sickness, but paramedics say customers immediately became sick within minutes of eating their meal.
"There were a couple of people outside the restaurant complaining of nausea and some of them were vomiting on the sidewalk," Roger Lippert with Med-Act Ambulance said.
The owners of Mi Ranchito issued a statement saying appropriate authorities said that the illnesses were not food-related and were limited to only the Lenexa location.
A manager at the restaurant said the problem may be linked to the fountain drink machine, but the inspector says it's still unclear if that's the case.
"If that was what caused it, basically on a fountain drink machine there should be a backflow preventer that prevents the carbonated water from coming in contact with copper lines," state inspector Amber Barham said. "So if that occurs it could result in copper poisoning."
Patrons unaware of the shut down came looking for lunch on Monday, but staff told them the restaurant was closed and gave away vouchers for their five other locations.
"I'll be back. I don't have any problems with Mi Ranchito at all," regular customer Genelle Hughes said.
But this isn't the first time customers became sick after eating at the Lenexa location. On August 11 about a half dozen people complained of similar problems.
The Health Department took food and drink samples and those tests will help determine the cause of the illnesses. In the meantime, the Lenexa location will remain closed until the source of the problem is determined and resolved.
Mi Ranchito restaurant closed voluntarily Monday, but the State Department of Agriculture also shut the place down until they figure out what caused the illness.
The Health Department says food poisoning usually takes six or more hours before the onset of sickness, but paramedics say customers immediately became sick within minutes of eating their meal.
"There were a couple of people outside the restaurant complaining of nausea and some of them were vomiting on the sidewalk," Roger Lippert with Med-Act Ambulance said.
The owners of Mi Ranchito issued a statement saying appropriate authorities said that the illnesses were not food-related and were limited to only the Lenexa location.
A manager at the restaurant said the problem may be linked to the fountain drink machine, but the inspector says it's still unclear if that's the case.
"If that was what caused it, basically on a fountain drink machine there should be a backflow preventer that prevents the carbonated water from coming in contact with copper lines," state inspector Amber Barham said. "So if that occurs it could result in copper poisoning."
Patrons unaware of the shut down came looking for lunch on Monday, but staff told them the restaurant was closed and gave away vouchers for their five other locations.
"I'll be back. I don't have any problems with Mi Ranchito at all," regular customer Genelle Hughes said.
But this isn't the first time customers became sick after eating at the Lenexa location. On August 11 about a half dozen people complained of similar problems.
The Health Department took food and drink samples and those tests will help determine the cause of the illnesses. In the meantime, the Lenexa location will remain closed until the source of the problem is determined and resolved.
