California Restaurant Owner 'Very Sorry' After 98 People Get Sick
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The owner of a San Diego café issued a public apology after at least 98 people got sick, including nine who were hospitalized, according to local reports.
More than 90 confirmed and probable cases of salmonella were identified by county health officials. All had dined at Aladdin Café, also known as Aladdin Mediterranean Café, in the Clairemont area.
Newsweek has contacted Aladdin Cafe and Ron Simon, the lawyer representing the victims suing the restaurant, out of regular working hours via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Salmonella infections can be serious, especially for vulnerable populations, and can result in hospitalizations and long-term effects. The legal filings and the number of affected consumers have placed renewed scrutiny on food handling practices and local enforcement in the U.S. food industry.
The Aladdin Cafe in San Diego.
The Aladdin Cafe in San Diego.
Aladdin Cafe
What To Know
Multiple legal actions have been filed, including lawsuits on behalf of two individuals and a representation for more than 50 other alleged victims.
These legal actions allege negligence in food preparation and failure to adhere to public health standards at Aladdin Café.
The café's owner said he was "very sorry" if the restaurant was involved "directly or indirectly," which occurred between April 25 and May 1, 2025.
After voluntarily shutting on May 1, the restaurant has since reopened as of May 12, according to the outlet SFGATE.
Officials from the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency confirmed that nine people were hospitalized as a result of the outbreak, and that victims were aged between 1 and 90.
The health department began investigating the outbreak after receiving multiple illness reports linked to the café, and worked with the establishment to identify the source and mitigate further risk.
The source of the Salmonella outbreak has not yet been identified, according to San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency reports.
Public health officials advised anyone who dined at Aladdin Café within the affected time frame and developed symptoms to seek medical attention and to report their illness to county authorities.
What People Are Saying
Ron Simon, managing partner at Ron Simon & Associates, the law firm representing the victims suing Aladdin Mediterranean Café, said in a statement, according to FOX 5: "We intend to use all the tools available to us in this litigation to get full and fair compensation for all of our clients, to find out how this outbreak happened, and to make sure that Aladdin keeps it from happening again."
Aladdin Cafe owner Hamdi Abukhalaf said to reporters on May 15: "I want to say to people, 'Please don't rush into judgment. We feel very bad for the people that got sick. We are very sorry if we are involved in this directly or indirectly.' However, I want people to be fair. We are humans. We have been in this business for 32 years. We have maintained high quality and the top cleanliness procedures."
Charles McLaughlin, a victim, said to ABC 10: "I got a fever, sweating through shirts, I had to put a towel on my bed. Constantly changing that out. A splitting headache."
Nubia Munguia, another victim, said to ABC 10: "From throwing up, to nausea, and diarrhea. I felt so ill. I went to the emergency room, and they admitted me right away because of how dangerous my blood pressure was. I felt like I was dying."
San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency said in a statement: "Salmonella causes an infection called Salmonellosis. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea that might have blood or mucous, abdominal cramps and fever. Symptoms generally begin 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Illness from salmonella can last 4 to 7 days. Most people recover without treatment."
It added: "People who dined at Aladdin Mediterranean Café between April 25 and May 1, 2025 and feel ill with any of the symptoms listed should contact a health care provider as needed. People who are still ill or have recovered after dining at Aladdin Mediterranean Café can report their illness to DEHQ by calling (858) 505-6814 or through this form if on a desktop or laptop device and by emailing it to fhdepi@sdcounty.ca.gov."
What Happens Next
The San Diego County Health Department is expected to provide further updates as the investigation concludes.
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