Two San Jose Targets dinged for rodent droppings

Two San Jose Target stores – one at the Oakridge Mall and another on Capitol Ave – were closed after inspections found evidence of rodent infestations late last week.

Last Thursday morning, the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health conducted an that found “rodent droppings” in and near a room where dairy was stored, resulting in the temporary closure of the grocery store.

cleared the grocery store to reopen, noting that a pest control report showed no evidence of an infestation, though another storage area had older evidence of rodents.

Then on Friday afternoon, another inspection at the Target on 450 N Capitol Ave found “rodent droppings” and “chewed food packages” throughout the food warehouse, forcing the grocery to close.

On Monday afternoon, the Capitol Ave location had separated its grocery aisles from the rest of the store using floor-to-ceiling plastic tarps, and many of the shelves that would typically offer snacks and sweets at check out were bare. Printed notices and workers advised shoppers that the grocery was closed.

At the same time, the Oakridge Mall grocery store appeared to be fully operational.

“The safety and well-being of our guests and team members is Target’s highest priority,” said Anthony Thomas, a spokesperson for Target, noting that they have stopped selling food items at the Capitol store to allow for “cleaning and sanitizing.” “We’re working with the local health department to ensure the concern is addressed quickly. … We appreciate the efforts of our team and partners to resolve this situation for our guests.”

The department of environmental health will be conducting a follow-up inspection in the coming week, according to county documents.

The failed inspections follow several local closures of grocery stores in recent years, including of a Whole Foods and two 99 Ranch Supermarkets in Cupertino last year due to a rodent infestation.

The Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health did not immediately respond to request for comment.