Sprinkles issued an apology Monday after video showing a rat scurrying across the cupcake case at the location at The Americana at Brand in Glendale was posted online over the weekend.
In the minute-long video, which was uploaded Saturday, a rat can be seen in the area where the cupcakes are normally kept during business hours. Sprinkles appears to have been closed at the time, although it is unclear when exactly the video was taken.
Suley Hidalgo said she was leaving a movie with her cousin early Friday morning when she spotted the rat and decided to record the alarming encounter on video.
“It’s food. People eat this. It’s just disgusting,” she told KTLA on Monday. “Yes, it’s just one rat, but where you see one, you see 100.”
Her sister, Luisa Hidalgo, decided to post to footage on Facebook to warn friends and family who may frequent the location about the health hazard.
“Rats can chew through anything. So my concern was take everything out, clean everything, shut it down and then reopen again,” Luisa said. “I’m not saying don’t go there again. I mean, they make delicious cupcakes. I used to go there — my favorite is the banana cupcake.”
In an emailed statement to KTLA on Monday, Jennifer Warner, the chief marketing officer at Sprinkles, apologized on behalf of the company.
“We deeply regret that an unfortunate set of circumstances, including a structural malfunction, lead to this incident,” Warner wrote.
She said the bakery was voluntarily shut down after they learned of the incident, and the property was addressed with the food safety experts and the landlord.
The store was open on Monday, Warner later clarified.
Warner added that the company is “confident the cleanliness of the restaurant exceeds standards” and assured customers it wouldn’t happen again.
“Our company’s utmost commitment is the health and safety of our guests and team members and we take this responsibility very seriously,” Warner wrote. “In our 12-year history we have maintained a consistent Grade A health department score and have diligently championed a culture of impeccable food safety.”
The Glendale location has been open for nearly three years.
KTLA’s Alberto Mendez contributed to this story.
Editor’s note: This video contains profanity.
