The Aporia · Chili’s customers suffer burns after sipping margaritas mistakenly made with cleaning agent

Three customers and two workers at a Chili’s Grill & Bar in Forest City, North Carolina, suffered chemical burns after drinking margaritas made with a cleaning agent instead of sugar on Thursday last week. The incident occurred when an employee mistakenly used an unlabeled container of degreasing cleaner to prepare the bar for lunch service. Local health inspectors closed the restaurant but it reopened the next day after addressing the issue. No fines were issued, and while those affected received medical treatment, their conditions are not specified in the report.

Written by AI on 2026-11-02, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

Five people, including three customers and two employees, suffered chemical burns in their mouths after consuming margaritas made with industrial degreaser at a Chili's Grill & Bar in Forest City, North Carolina on Wednesday. The incident began when an employee received the cleaning chemical from a contractor two days earlier and placed it in an unlabeled container left near the bar area. Another employee mistook the substance for sugar while preparing drinks before lunch service. Health officials immediately suspended the restaurant’s food service permit and launched an investigation, emphasizing the importance of proper chemical labeling and storage to prevent such incidents. The Foothills Health District director stated that this underscores the need for adherence to the North Carolina Food Code to protect public health.

Written for “Chili's Margarita Mix-Up Burns Customers” on 2026-11-03, grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.

This article reads unscored and hedges 15% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Three Chili’s customers chemically burned after margarita mix-up Same event

The Independent

Hedges 1 of 19 claims Outlet record 59/100

Chili's customers suffer chemical burns after dangerous margarita mix-up Same event

Fox News

Hedges 2 of 16 claims Outlet record 69/100

Chili's customers suffer horrific chemical burns after sipping margaritas at North Carolina restaurant Same event

Daily Mail

Hedges 2 of 35 claims Outlet record 69/100

North Carolina Chili’s customers suffer chemical burns after drinking margaritas in nightmare mix-up Same event

New York Post

Hedges 2 of 17 claims Outlet record 66/100

WATCH: 5 people at Chili's in North Carolina suffer burns after margarita mix-up Same event

ABC News (US)

Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 70/100

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Source leaning vs. consistency

NBC News · 2033 article(s) · 1 correction(s) detected

Running correction rate · 1 correction(s)

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A Chili’s Grill & Bar in North Carolina is back in business after three customers and two workers suffered chemical burns on their mouths from sipping margaritas mistakenly made with a cleaning chemical last week. asserted

customers → suffer → chemical

The eatery in Forest City was shut down on Thursday after the customers, who had ordered the drinks shortly after the restaurant opened for lunch, “immediately experienced discomfort and chemical burns in and around their mouths,” the Foothills Health District said in a statement. asserted

District → shut → statement

“Two restaurant employees subsequently tasted the substance and reported similar symptoms,” the FHD statement. asserted

employees → taste → symptoms

It was reopened the next day after local health inspectors discovered that a worker “preparing the bar for lunch service discovered the unlabeled container and, believing its contents to be sugar, used the chemical to prepare the margarita station.” asserted

contents → reopen → station

Chili’s, according to its menu, offers several margaritas that are make with a “citrus-sugar rimmer” in addition to the traditional salt. FHD spokesperson Megan Rollins said in an email the investigation was closed and no fines were issued. uncertain

fines → accord → email

She said the injured parties received medical treatment, but had no information about their conditions. asserted

parties → say → conditions

A Chili’s spokesperson said in an email that this was an “incident isolated to a single restaurant in Forest City, North Carolina, that resulted in injuries to two of our guests and Team Members.” asserted

that → say → guests

“Our team took immediate action to support those affected and avoid further injuries,” the spokesperson said. asserted

spokesperson → take → injuries

“We have thoroughly investigated the circumstances and addressed the issues specific to this location.” asserted

We → investigate → location

The spokesperson did not respond to a follow-up question from NBC News seeking an explanation for why their tally of injured customers was different from the one provided earlier by the FHD. asserted

tally → respond → FHD

This Chili’s is located about 60 miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina. asserted

Chili → locate → Charlotte

On the morning of Oct. 26, according to the FHD statement, “a restaurant employee received a granulated degreasing chemical from a contracted worker who was power washing the exterior, and placed it into an unlabeled container.” For reasons unclear, “the container was brought inside the restaurant and left in the bar area.” uncertain

container → accord → area

Two days later, those chemicals were inadvertently added to margaritas. asserted

chemicals → add → margaritas

Chili’s customers suffer burns after sipping margaritas mistakenly made with cleaning agent

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