Nono's to conduct 'thorough investigation' on alleged food poisoning incident
Nono's said it's conducting a "thorough investigation" following a now-viral incident involving customers who claimed they were rushed to the hospital after eating in one of its branches.
In a statement on Facebook, the restaurant apologized "for the distress caused by a recent incident in one of our restaurants."
“Our teams are conducting a thorough investigation to ensure that such incidents do not happen again as we remain committed to assuring everyone’s safety and well-being," Nono's said, adding that they "aim to treat our guests with utmost respect and consideration, and take accountability for falling short of our own standards."
Nono's told customers they "resolve to be a learning organization and that means we are determined to improve and regain your trust."
"We will always be dedicated to doing better for our beloved guests and community," the restaurant said. "Thank you for your understanding and we pray for your continued support."
'From Nono's to emergency room real quick'
This comes after Facebook user Cesca Alexander in a post recalled eating at the restaurant's branch in The Podium in Ortigas on Aug. 21.
Alexander said they ordered the lemon cream pasta with bread on the side for four. "We noticed the bread on the side was stale. Despite not waiting too long to eat it, it was chewy and rubbery," she said.
They requested a new serving of bread. According to them, a waiter, who brought them a plate of toasted bread, asked them to "consume [it] immediately."
When Alexander's group ate the pasta, she said they all "had the same comment." She said, "[S]omething was off about it. It was bland. It didn't taste right. It didn't seem fresh. It made us feel 'umay' right away, to the point that we felt like vomiting."
Alexander added that her friend Tel, who was four months pregnant, then "started to feel unwell." Tel also felt her blood pressure spiked.
She recalled Tel "turning red" quickly, as the latter's vision blurred. They approached the manager and asked for a medical personnel. Tel was put on a wheelchair and brought to the mall clinic, accompanied by their friend Abigail.
Alexander and her friend Ina stayed at Nono's to settle the bill before regrouping in the mall clinic. "The rest of us sat quiet then shared we felt dizzy and as if there was a lump in our throats," she said, adding that the nurse noted their heart rates were high.
Abi went back and forth to the restroom to vomit six times, Alexander said, and was advised to go to the nearby hospital as soon as possible.
The nurse arranged for the transport of Abi and Tel to Medical City.
At the emergency room, Alexander said a representative from Nono's, whom she later referred in the post as "J," approached them and was there for updates. "Anytime anything happened, we updated him. He patiently waited at the ER with us," she said of J.
Ina was immediately placed in urgent care "due to her consistently high heart rate and complaint of a lump in the throat and tension in her jaw," while the rest of their group went through the usual check-up process.
Alexander said she was diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis, Tel with food poisoning, Abi with gastroesophageal reflux disease and electrolyte imbalance, and Ina with hypersensitivity reaction probably secondary to food intake.
She noted that Abi and Ina refused to stay in the hospital for further observation.
Alexander said she updated a certain "Anna," Nono's manager, through J. "We appreciated that they were coordinating with us at first," she said, noting they offered to help with the transportation especially since the two of them live outside Metro Manila.
"Anna informed us she could help us with Grab expenses," she said.
But since it was already late, Alexander asked Anna if they could cover overnight accommodation expenses instead.
According to Alexander, they offered to cover the medical bills of their group despite her saying they have health insurance.
"After sending our Statement of Accounts (except mine that took the longest), we were told that it would cost them too much to cover," Alexander said.
Nono's staff reimbursed their meal instead, which cost P2,131.
"Only a reimbursement after such a terrible experience and no accountability," she said. "We were told by Anna that it takes 4-8 hours for food-borne illness to take place so it was most likely a result from earlier meals and definitely not from their food." (According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, food poisoning symptoms can start any time between 30 minutes and three weeks after eating contaminated food. Illnesses last from one to three days.)
Alexander said Anna told them everything was checked, including the water supply. They also prepared the same meal that their group had.
"And apparently, nothing was amiss," Alexander said, adding that Anna told them she couldn't do anything from her end. The reimbursement also came out of Anna and J's own pocket.
"J said something along the lines of 'abonado pa ako' when he handed us the money," she claimed.
Alexander said they intended to file a police report but ended their night at around 2 a.m. with their phone batteries drained and "no more energy left in us."
In an update, she said the senior marketing manager reached out to her via text on Aug. 24. "We are now coordinating with her to move forward," she continued.
Nono's started as a dessert shop with its signature cake. It then started offering Filipino favorites and Western staples.