Local restaurant owners aren?t taking any chances.
As the number of people across the country sickened by an E. coli outbreak traced to spinach grows, many restaurants are pulling the leafy greens from the menu, regardless of where the spinach came from or if it was affected by the recall.
“We aren?t going to take our chances,” said Popi Tsamoures, manager of the Double T Diner in Catonsville.
Double T Diner has stopped serving some half a dozen dishes that featured spinach ? from the spinach pie to spinach salad. Although the restaurant may be losing money, it?s not worth the risk, she said.
Rob Wecker, owner of the Iron Bridge Wine Co. in Columbia, said they have made some slight adjustments to the menu, replacing spinach with arugula.
Like more than 1,000 other restaurants in the state, Iron Bridge Wine Co. gets its spinach from Coastal Sunbelt and Produce in Savage, which pulled the fresh spinach immediately.
Mike Davis, vice president of sales and marketing for the distributor, said they plan to wait until the Food and Drug Administration has completed its investigation before they ship any spinach products. The company distributes produce from growers all over the country.
“We are always going to err on the side of caution,” Davis said.
Frozen spinach has not been included in the recall, and restaurants, such as some national chains that rely on frozen spinach, are keeping those items on the menu.
TGI Friday?s, which has 13 locations in Maryland, hasn?t made any changes because it uses frozen spinach for dishes such as the Tuscan Spinach Dip, said spokeswoman Amy Freshwater.
For Westminster restaurant owner David Johansson, pulling spinach was painless.
“Most of the people are savvy and watching the news, so it didn?t really offend anybody,” said Johansson, who owns Johannsons Dining House. “You are dealing with people?s welfare.”
