Public health officials have completed an investigation into a gastrointestinal illness outbreak linked to Stack 571 Burger and Whiskey Bar in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland, Washington. The investigation focused on three individuals who became sick after dining at the restaurant between October 28 and November 3, 2024.
The affected individuals experienced symptoms consistent with a bacterial toxin, including vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and general illness. Investigations revealed that the only common factor among the sick individuals was their meal at the restaurant.
On November 8, 2024, health inspectors conducted an on-site investigation at the restaurant. During the inspection, officials identified several areas of concern, though none directly linked to bacterial toxin growth.
Inspectors found an improperly stocked handwashing facility and identified issues with the restaurant’s worker health policy. While the business has a policy preventing sick workers from working, there was a gap in their procedure for screening employees’ symptoms when they report illness.
The restaurant’s current inspection rating remained “Good” despite these findings. Health officials provided guidance and resources to address the identified issues. Recommendations included implementing more comprehensive symptom screening for workers returning from sick leave and reviewing safe cooling procedures for cooked foods to prevent bacterial toxin development.
Investigators noted that some restaurant workers had recently been ill, but no employees were sick at the time of the investigation. Officials found no evidence suggesting that workers were the source of the customers’ illnesses.
Laboratory testing was not conducted for the affected individuals. According to public health experts, bacterial toxin-related illnesses typically begin and resolve quickly after eating, making post-event testing challenging. By the time most individuals seek medical attention, if they do so at all, it is usually too late to obtain conclusive test results.
The outbreak has been declared over, with no hospitalizations or deaths reported.
Commenting on this article, one national food poisoning lawyer said, “It is always a good idea to have federal, state, and/or local public health professionals remind and reeducate restaurants of the importance of proper food handling, employee health monitoring, and symptom screening to prevent or dramatically reduce the chance of similar incidents occurring in the future.”
