A video showing rats roaming around inside a McDonald’s outlet in Rajkot has gone viral on social media, raising questions about hygiene and food safety at the restaurant.
The incident took place at the McDonald’s outlet near Greenland Chowkdi in Rajkot, Gujarat. The viral footage shows rats in all areas of the customer dining area, including near tables and benches. The video quickly spread to a number of websites, and the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) Health Department visited the outlet.
After the video was posted, officials from the RMC Food Department visited the restaurant to check its hygiene and sanitation arrangements. According to reports, hygiene-related negligence was found in the dining area, and a ₹3,000 fine was imposed on the outlet.
However, officials did not find similar cleanliness issues inside the kitchen during the inspection. The food department also took two raw material samples from the restaurant for further investigation.
The restaurant manager told the inspection team that construction work was taking place nearby and suggested that this might have provided a way for rodents to enter the premises. This explanation has not been independently established as the reason for the rats in the dining area.
🚨Rats found in the McDonald's outlet in Rajkot pic.twitter.com/yYuoIndLdC
— The Tatva (@thetatvaindia) September 22, 2026
Yet the footage has raised questions about pest control at food establishments because rats were seen in an area where customers sit and eat. Rodents can contaminate food and food-contact surfaces, which is why effective sanitation and pest management are a big part of food service hygiene.
The episode has also received a lot of attention online because of the visibility of the incident. The video appears to have been shot from outside the restaurant through a glass window, and McCafé signage and other restaurant features are visible in the background.
The RMC's inspection and fine have put the restaurant’s hygiene practices at the center of focus, while the collected samples may provide additional information about the food-safety aspect of the incident.
For customers, the viral footage has revived wider concerns about cleanliness and pest control in restaurants; for the restaurant industry, maintaining cleanliness and pest control is a big issue. The incident also illustrates how videos that customers or passers-by take can quickly lead to regulatory inspections when they raise public health concerns.
As of September 22, 2026, the reported action against the Rajkot outlet consists of the RMC inspection, a ₹3,000 fine for hygiene-related negligence in the dining area, and the collection of two raw material samples for testing.
