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Update: The Chili’s Needle Fiasco From Hell

So, a week ago I found this horrifying thing while I was having Futoor at Chili’s, and since then I’ve been in a flurry to spread the word about it in order to make sure that something is truly done to fix it.

Well, I’m happy to let you all know that there is definitely progress.

Thanks to the immense help of you, my beyond awesome readers, this post alone has reached over 1000 views within a week (WA-POW!) and has caught the attention of both the Chili’s higher management (from Al-Ghunaim Group) AND the attention of Kuwait’s Municipality. Seriously, a whole lot of people are now Googling ‘chilis kuwait needle’ and are being lead to this post.

Can I get a big, emphatic, stadium-style ‘THANK YOU!’ please?

Now, here’s what we’re looking at as far as an actual inspection goes: The gentleman I personally spoke to from the municipality gave me his word that he himself would head on over to that particular Chili’s branch (on the Gulf Road) and perform a complete health inspection both within the kitchen and outside. He assured me that, as soon as he was through with his inspection, he would let me know what he came up with.

He was kind enough to go over the entire health inspection process with me and, unfortunately, he let me know that Kuwait’s penalty for health code violations is actually quite ineffective.

Basically, he told me that the municipality will either fine the restaurant a few thousand KD (which, apparently, is like peanuts to them) or shut the place down for a month or so until the restaurant shapes up its health and hygiene standards only to have the same horrifying incidents reported a few weeks later.

He was honestly very, VERY dismayed with this rather ineffective system which doesn’t seem to accomplish a whole lot or make a real difference in Kuwait’s eating scene. I definitely echo his dismay.

Now, as far as my contact with the Chili’s upper management goes, its been somewhat minimal since they seem to completely refuse to further their discussion with me until I speak with them personally on the phone and provide other personal info. I let them know that, in order to protect myself from any legal drama, I can’t divulge that information and would be more than happy to discuss the issue over email. For some reason, that doesn’t seem to be working for them so that’s that.

I would like to thank all the readers of this blog who have placed their support behind me and who have done their best to let as many people know about this incident. For those of you who have shared with me your stories of similarly horrifying hygiene at these restaurants: thank you for giving me even more reason to follow through on this and make sure that something is truly done.

Any progress that is made on this issue is because of my readers not me. I honestly cannot thank you guys enough.

I also have to give a whopping THANK YOU to all the bloggers who responded well to my emails, most especially to the awesome Frankom for graciously offering me so much help and for trying to connect me with the right people to get this solved. I definitely appreciate the effort and I’m honestly humbled by it.

(To the few bloggers that didn’t respond so well, head on over to door number two.)

I’ll definitely keep you guys informed on whatever the Municipality comes up with or on any other developments that arise.

Thank you. Again. For the fifth time.

All my love!