A Sacramento-area doughnut shop issues apology for a rodent-related closure
A local doughnut shop is taking accountability after being recently shut down by Sacramento County health inspectors due to a rat infestation.
Natomas Donuts, located at 2711 Del Paso Road, Suite 130, was given a red placard on April 1 after health inspectors found more than 200 rodent droppings around the facility’s kitchen, including inside an open bucket of cream cheese filling, The Sacramento Bee previously reported.
In a statement obtained by The Bee, Thana Rong Ny, owner of Natomas Donuts, issued a “most heartfelt apology” to the shop’s customers.
“As the owner, I take full responsibility for this failure,” Ny’s statement read. “Our customers place their trust in us every day, and it is our obligation to provide not only quality products, but also a clean, safe, and healthy environment.
“We did not meet that standard, and for that, I am profoundly sorry.”
A red placard is the harshest grade a Sacramento County commercial food facility can receive during a health inspection, indicating the facility was ordered to temporarily stop operations “due to imminent danger to public health and safety,” according to the Sacramento County retail food inspection guide.
Restaurant operators must request a reinspection after addressing the issue that led to closure in order to reopen, according to the Natomas Donuts inspection report.
On April 2, the doughnut shop failed a re-inspection, as inspectors found roughly 15 new droppings on and around food products.
Natomas Donuts was permitted to reopen after a second re-inspection on April 3 showed no signs of rodent droppings.
According to the statement, the shop took a number of actions in response to the closures, including firing the store’s manager for negligence and professionally sanitizing and deep cleaning the facility.
Ny told The Bee on Wednesday that staff were being retrained on proper cleaning procedures.
Ny said he felt the need to address the community after posts on community forums and social media about the closure began circulating, which led to poor Google and Yelp reviews.
As of Wednesday, Yelp had temporarily disabled users from writing new reviews on the Natomas Donuts page after a recent influx of negative reviews due to the closure.
“I understand that trust must be earned — not just through words, but through consistent action,” Ny’s statement read. “We are committed to rebuilding that trust with integrity, humility, and hard work. Thank you for holding us accountable.”
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