Fast-Food Staff Quit, Citing 'Rat Infestation' and Low Pay in Note to Customers

The night staff of a southern Indiana fast-food restaurant walked off the job in protest on Saturday, with the eatery's patrons left to discover a note saying that the restaurant was unsanitary and the workers were underfpaid.

In the note left on the drive-thru speaker of a Jeffersonville Rally's, the manager wrote that he had "had enough" and that all of the employees had left the building.

A reporter from WHAS in Louisville, Kentucky, just across the border from Jeffersonville, traveled to the restaurant and posted a picture of the sign on Twitter. While the reporter, Tom Lally, said that the note's claims were uncorroborated, however, the building was empty and the lights were still on inside.

Here’s the sign. Interviewed some turned-away customers too, you can catch it on @WHAS11 Wake Up with @robharristv pic.twitter.com/KmEICj1t6F

— Tom Lally (@tomlallyky) October 24, 2021

"Due to the constant...rat infestation and low staff and health code violations, I and the entire night crew quit," the note said. "This place doesn't pay and do not care about us employees and managers [sic]."

"I would NOT eat here," the note ended.

Some customers looking for a bite to eat spoke to WHAS regarding the employee's allegations and seemed surprised that the restaurant had been abandoned.

"We just came here to order some food, no one came to the window," one drive-thru customer told the station. "We had a lady come through saying they walked out, upset about something."

Fast food stock photo
Employees of a Rally's restaurant in southern Indiana have walked off the job citing unsanitary working conditions and low pay. Stock photo above does not depict Rally's food. iStock/Getty

The Clark County Health Department, whose jurisdiction includes the Rally's restaurant in question, told WHAS that they would be sending officials to the franchise Monday to launch an investigation.

The department also stated that they had had issues with the particular location in the past with regard to unsanitary working conditions, and had worked with the management team to try and improve the work environment.

"Our highest priority is the health of our citizens so we take any complaint of this magnitude extremely seriously," the department told WHAS in a statement.

Previously a separate restaurant chain founded in 1985, Rally's merged with another similar fast-food establishment, Checker's, in 1999. Between the two franchises, the brand now has restaurants in 28 states and Washington, D.C, and both serve primarily the same food.

While Checker's is concentrated mostly in the southern states, Rally's has a much more northern presence, including locations throughout the Midwest.

Rally's is known for its drive-in style American cuisine, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, and ice cream.

The Franchise Times named Checker's and Rally's the 92nd best franchise business in the nation, and the outlet estimated sales of $860 million in 2020. The company also named a new CEO in February 2020.

Newsweek reached out to Rally's public relations team for comment.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer



To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go