Memphis Popeyes location shut down due to viral video showing roaches

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - A Memphis Popeyes location has shut down due to a viral video.

A former employee recorded a video in the kitchen of Popeyes on Showcase Boulevard off of the Perkins Exit on Tuesday.

The video shows numerous bugs that appear to be roaches in the fast food kitchen.

According to health inspection records as recent as Wednesday, the restaurant passed with flying colors.

Popeyes released a statement on the matter on Thursday.

Former Popeye’s employee Tykeia Ransom says for two months she had to work with roaches!

“How are y’all going to pass, here go a roach right here,” said former employee Tykeia Ransom. Seen crawling on the walls, packaging, and inside the deep fryer,

Ransom said roaches were not the only problem. She says it was also dealing with unsanitary conditions like bins of chicken left out on the floor.

She said she tried several times to address the issue with management.

”I even got into it with the GM over the roaches being in the rice. Like, we got into it bad like she didn’t even wanna throw it away,” said Ransom.

“She was like, this is a product, I was like oh okay, but it has roaches in it. I’m not finna serve that,” said Ransom.

One day later the Tennessee Department of Health did a “routine inspection” and gave the restaurant a score of 98, according to the inspection report.

Only two violations were listed like pink slime in the ice machines, but there was no mention of the bugs.

Action News 5 reached out to Popeye’s corporate to get answers on when we can see this location open back up and we haven’t heard back.

As for Tykeia, She says she’s done with fast food and is searching for another job.

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