# Chili’s customers suffer chemical burns after dangerous margarita mix-up

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/chilis-customers-suffer-chemical-burns-after-dangerous-margarita-mix-up/
- Published: 2026-10-30T02:15:22+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-30T03:11:31+00:00
- Original publisher: Fox News (publisher lean: Far right)
- Original article: https://www.foxnews.com/us/chilis-customers-suffer-chemical-burns-after-dangerous-margarita-mix-up
- Topics: Americas, World

## Key points

- Degreaser was mistaken for a margarita ingredient.
- Three customers and two employees reportedly suffered symptoms.
- The restaurant’s permit was suspended, then reinstated.

## Summary

A cleaning chemical was mistaken for a bar ingredient at a Chili’s restaurant in Forest City, North Carolina, and used to prepare margaritas. Customers and staff suffered chemical burns or similar symptoms, prompting a health investigation and a temporary suspension of the restaurant’s food service permit.

Preliminary findings say an industrial degreaser was put in an unlabelled container on Monday and left in the bar area; on Wednesday, an employee mistook it for sugar or salt. Three customers drank the contaminated margaritas and two employees also reported symptoms after tasting the substance. Chili’s said two guests and team members were injured, differing from the health district’s count of three affected customers; the permit was reinstated on Thursday after inspectors found other food safety standards were met.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.