Forest City, NC (October 28, 2026) - Three customers suffered discomfort and chemical burns in and around their mouths after drinking margaritas at Chili’s Grill & Bar in Forest City, and two employees reported similar symptoms after tasting the substance involved, according to the Foothills Health District. The exposure occurred shortly after the Rutherford County restaurant opened for lunch Wednesday.

The health district’s preliminary findings traced the substance to October 26, when an employee received a granulated degreasing chemical from a contractor power washing the restaurant’s exterior. The employee placed it in an unlabeled container, which was brought inside and left near the bar. Two days later, another employee mistook the contents for sugar and used the chemical while preparing the margarita station.

The customers alerted restaurant staff and left to seek medical attention. The affected people received medical treatment, and health district spokesperson Megan Rollins described treatment at urgent care. The degree of their burns and their conditions following treatment were not reported.

The Foothills Health District investigated and temporarily suspended the restaurant’s food service permit. Staff were instructed to wash and sanitize affected preparation areas, equipment and surfaces.

Officials reinstated the permit after determining that applicable food safety requirements had been met. The health district subsequently closed the investigation without issuing fines.

Similar Symptoms, Individual Effects

The Forest City exposure affected customers who drank margaritas and employees who later tasted the substance. Although both groups reported mouth symptoms, that shared experience does not establish identical injuries or losses. A personal injury lawyer assessing a chemical-exposure injury considers the individual’s treatment expenses and actual pain rather than assigning everyone affected the same amount. Possible compensation depends on legal responsibility and applicable coverage.

Treatment bills describe the cost of care, but they do not fully describe what mouth pain feels like or how it affects someone’s day. If that pain interferes with eating, for example, the interference is a personal effect distinct from the urgent-care charge. Its duration and impact matter to understanding that person’s experience. North Carolina has no statutory formula for pain-and-suffering amounts, so neither a shared symptom description nor similar medical bills supplies a fixed value.

Help After a Chemical Exposure in Food or Drinks

If you were injured by a chemical served in food or a drink, a legal conversation can help you understand whether a claim may be available and whether it could address the personal effects of the injury as well as treatment expenses.