(KRON) — A pho restaurant in the South Bay has temporarily closed after a video appearing to show unsanitary meat handling practices in back of the restaurant went viral. Pho Love in Milpitas is temporarily closed according to its Google listing.
The restaurant has emerged at the center of an online controversy after someone posted video of a man slamming frozen beef ribs on the bare ground in back of the restaurant. The video, which was shot from a rooftop vantage point, shows the meat being thrown onto pieces of cardboard and skidding off into the pavement, which appears stained with refuse water from a trash compactor.
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At one point in the video posted on TikTok, the meat can be seen skidding off into a puddle of murky, dark liquid.
An empty mop bucket and a garbage heap can also be seen in the video.
When KRON4 visited Pho Love on Thursday, a sign on the door said the restaurant was closed “due to an issue involving one of our employees.”
Photo: Stephanie Rothman/KRON4
A second sign, from the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health, said that the restaurant was closed due to the temporary suspension of its health permit. Reasons for the closure cited by the county included:
Facility and equipment sanitation
Insect/rodent control
Photo: Stephanie Rothman/KRON4
The closure notice was dated Thursday, Nov. 20.
Pho Love also appears to have disabled its Instagram account. However, before the account went offline, the restaurant posted that it is aware of the video and is cooperating with an official investigation into the matter.
“We are aware of the concerning video currently circulating online,” the restaurant posted on Instagram. “After a preliminary internal review, we have determined that the individual’s actions were conducted in a personal capacity and in collaboration with an external party, contrary to our company’s standards and without our knowledge or instruction.”
The restaurant went on to say it was “treating the matter with the utmost seriousness” and was fully cooperating with a police investigation.
“The trust and safety of our customers are the highest priority,” the restaurant added.
The Milpitas Police Department told KRON4 it was aware of the video circulating and had shared information with the Code Enforcement division.
KRON4 tried to calling Pho Love several times during its posted business hours for further comment. We were unsuccessful.
KRON4 has also reached out to the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health.