Ice On The Side? Florida Japanese Restaurant Closes Doors After Soy Sauce Tests Positive For Meth

Things might be getting a little too exciting in Florida. A Japanese steakhouse in the US state was earmarked after seven customers of the restaurant were poisoned with methamphetamines last month. After over a month of scrutiny and bad press, the eatery has unfortunately closed its doors permanently.

Florida Steakhouse Soy Sauce Tests Positive For Meth; Eatery Shuts Down

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The seven customers who fell ill were reportedly eating at one of the restaurant's Hibachi tables. After having food there, the customer had to be hospitalised. On closer testing, it was found that they had tested positive for meth. Three of the seven people approached the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office through their attorneys in search of answers.

The Sheriff’s Office started an investigation into Nikko?Japanese Steak and Sushi Bar in Pace, Florida, soon after. The leftover food and the customers were tested for narcotics and came back positive.

After some police work, they found that the meth was mixed into the?soy sauce, which was both bottled and packed. The incident prompted the restaurant to temporarily close its doors. They did open back up after some time.

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However, the restaurant officially announced its closure in a post on Facebook. The owner of the restaurant mentioned in the post how they had been "brutally harassed, daily, by various media outlets, who have slandered and defamed every aspect of our business."

Not only the owner but the employees as well were approached constantly through their private and official contacts. The owner added, "We have been investigated, searched, and questioned while fully cooperating at all times."

But it was not the police’s questions and suspicion that led the restaurant to close its doors; it was the constant poking from the media outlets that put the last nail in the coffin.?

The owner noted, "Today, a family-owned and operated business is closed, and 20 employees are out of work, all because of the power of social media."

Who Did It?

After a careful investigation of the case, the Sheriff’s Office decided not to pursue any charges against the restaurant. Even though multiple employees pointed fingers at a worker they thought contaminated the food, a lack of evidence left the investigation at a standstill.

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