Abilene Mall Faces Controversy Over Alleged Rat Infestation

I was already grateful for our South Plains Mall. Premiere Cinemas is a top-tier theater; we have that sparkling new Dillard's, there are tons of awesome retail stores, and the food court is full of delicious food.

But when the Abilene news station is reporting an alleged rat infestation that's so bad that mall restaurants may be facing closure over it, let's just say I'm extra grateful for our nice, CLEAN mall.

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Abilene's El Chico Closes After Five Decades In Part Due To Rats

Lubbock lost its El Chico a few years back. Abilene still had one as part of the mall until very recently. They closed due to a few factors, but the owners did cite the rat problem as one of them. The proprietor claimed they went "above and beyond" to handle the rat infestation, but failed multiple inspections because of it. From KTAB News:

According to health inspection reports, rat droppings were found at the restaurant on Jan. 9 and again on Feb. 9. A severe rat infestation was declared on Feb. 9, and the restaurant was ordered to close.  

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Is The Mall of Abilene Taking Any Accountability?

Several other mall restaurants also had reported rat issues during health inspections. When asked about the alleged rat problem, Mall of Abilene General Manager Steven Niles said, “Those are restaurant-specific problems. Those aren’t mall problems.”

I let you draw your own conclusion from that quote.

Again, I Want To Shout Out South Plains Mall

Been walking miles around that place since I was a small child. The only place I ever saw a rodent was at the pet store. I've never seen so much as a bug at our mall. If Lubbock is the last mid-sized city with an indoor mall, it will be because the mall owners actually care about it and care about the people who shop and do business there.