Baja Not-so-Fresh

My letter to the corporate office of Baja Fresh, sent of this morning after registering a complaint with the local health department and talking with a restaurant manager. The manager actually admitted to me that the salsa refrigeration unit was broken, but they were STILL serving salsa. Also, check out the link in the letter to their health inspection history. Its so bad it makes you angry they are still open. Why has no one else complained about them? They would haved saved me a lot of time next to the toilet and missing Soren's first birthday.

Dear Baja Fresh,

I am writing to bring blatant food safety violations at the Walnut Creek franchise to your attention because I believe it is affecting your brand image. After reading my letter, I hope you will seriously reprimand and fine the owners of the Walnut Creek Baja Fresh. I will show you that since Sept 2009, they have knowingly ignored food safety regulations. Their stupidity/ignorance/thoughtlessness is not only hurting your image, but making customers seriously ill. I know you value the the freshness of your food, as "Fresh" is key to who you are. However, this one franchise is creating a reputation of "Baja Not-So-Fresh."

Let me begin by sharing my recent experience with your restaurant. My family is visiting the Bay Area from Idaho. We've lived in Clayton, Ca several years ago and loved eating out at Baja Fresh. On Jan 1, 2010, we were excited to visit your restaurant for the first time in several years. We ate at the Walnut Creek franchise, where my husband, baby, family friends and I all ordered food ranging from burritos to salads. I was the only one to eat from the salsa bar. (Please note that I believe it was this salsa bar that caused my food borne illness)

The restaurant was filthy - floors were grimy, tables had not been wiped down, bathrooms disgusting. There were only three other people eating in the restaurant, so there was no excuse for staff not keeping the place clean. But because of my past love for Baja Fresh, I ignored these telltale signs. Within 12 hours of eating at Baja Fresh, I became nauseous. Shortly afterward, I had horrendous diarrhea which led to vomiting. I became so sick, that I could not sip water without immediately having diahrrea. I was in agony and developed a fever of 101.8. Because I could not sip liquids, I became dehydrated and my blood pressure dropped so low that my legs were numb and my arms tingling. I could not walk without assistance and was visited by a nurse who confirmed my opinion of food poisoning.

I believe it was caused by the Walnut Creek franchise food for several reasons. First, it was the only restaurant I had eaten at that week. Second, no one else in my family or household has been sick or got sick after this. Third, based on their food inspection history (found here: http://www.decadeonline.com/insp.phtml?agency=ccc&record_id=PR0008459) the franchise has had major problems with refrigeration and temperature control since Sept 2009, which they did not fix for their re-inspection. And finally, when I called the franchise to complain, the manager on duty this morning admitted that the salsa refrigerator had been breaking down, but they were still serving salsa. I hope you are shocked and outraged that one of your restaurants would knowingly serve food that has not been properly cared for.

Within 48 hours, the food poisoning had passed. However, the carelessness of your franchise cost me more than you will ever know. The day I was sick was also my only child's very first birthday. A day that I will never get back. Also, my family was supposed to leave for our home on Jan. 3, but because I was so ill I had to stay behind, resulting in several hundred dollars of travel expenses.

This morning, I notified the franchise before registered a complaint with Contra Costa Health Services. As I mentioned in the beginning of this letter, I hope you will seriously reprimand the Walnut Creek franchise owners for ignoring their food safety violations to protect your customers and brand.

Sincerely,
Melissa Wheeler