An outbreak of E. coli in the South Royalton, Vermont, area prompted Worthy Burger, a brewery and burger restaurant popular with Dartmouth students, to shut its doors for four days and switch beef suppliers, Worthy Burger executive chef Jason Merrill said.
There have been five confirmed and three probable cases of E. coli contamination in the area around South Royalton, Vermont health department epidemiologist Bradley Tompkins said. The source of the infection has not yet been determined, but all of those infected had eaten at Worthy Burger prior to their diagnoses, he said, and the department is investigating the outbreak to determine what caused it and how it spread.
In response to the health department’s investigation, Worthy Burger shut down for four days to assess and respond to the situation, Merrill said. Worthy Burger also chose to switch several of its suppliers — including its main beef supplier — in compliance with the health department’s recommendations, Merrill said. The restaurant is also no longer working with several small farms, he said.
“The restaurant was eager to reopen, and so we suggested while the investigation was ongoing that if they wanted to reopen, that they switch those suppliers,” Tompkins said.
Merrill said that there has been no evidence that Worthy Burger was the source of the outbreak. The restaurant has cooperated fully and done everything that has been asked of it, he said.
“There’s no proof that this happened through the Worthy Burger — it’s just more of a precaution,” he said. “This is out of our control. It wasn’t anything that was with the facility or that we did.”
Merrill said that while some people may be cautious, Worthy Burger remains confident in the quality of its staff and products,
The shutdown came on one of Worthy Burger’s slowest weekends of the year, he said. While the restaurant was unhappy with the situation, the shutdown’s impacts have been relatively minimal and staff were able to complete other maintenance projects around the building, he said.
Despite its distance from campus, Worthy Burger has historically been a popular destination for College students, particularly upperclassmen with cars to make the 30-minute drive.
Students interviewed by The Dartmouth spoke positively of the restaurant, praising its food and atmosphere. Most seemed unperturbed by the news of the temporary shutdown and expressed trust in the restaurant.
Christopher Novak ’17 spoke highly of the food, calling the restaurant’s burgers “big and juicy,” with high-quality ingredients. Novak, who has been to the restaurant four or five times, noted its popularity with both students and Upper Valley locals.
“Going there, you can actually see some of the kitchen staff and they seem really well-organized,” he said.
Even if there were an E. coli outbreak tied to the restaurant, it was probably an isolated incident and not a pattern of negligence, Novak said.
Mary Sieredzinski ’17 said she would return to the restaurant in the future. She added that going to Worthy Burger is a part of a broader experience that involves taking in the sights of the Vermont countryside along the drive.
Abhishek Bhargava ’18 said that he might be more reluctant to go to Worthy Burger in the next few weeks or months but would be willing to go again in the long term, citing the restaurant’s previous records of meeting health standards.
“Eventually enough time would pass, and I would be fine with going there again,” he said.
Last May, College staff announced that E. coli had been found in water sources in the City of Lebanon and residents had been ordered to boil water. While the bacteria did not impact Hanover, Safety and Security director Harry Kinne sent an email to students and staff to alert them to the situation as the College owns property in Lebanon.
“After the whole E. coli Green Key scare last year I don’t take it too seriously,” Willy Ramirez ’18 said.
Ramirez had not been to the restaurant before but said he would like to eat there in the future.
Despite the challenges associated with the shutdown, Merrill remains upbeat.
“Worthy Burger is up and rolling, just as it always has been, serving great beer and great burgers,” he said.
