Japanese beef-bowl chain Sukiya said it will no longer keep any restaurants open for 24 hours and will take other steps to prevent food contamination.
The measures come after a series of reports of vermin found at the franchise since the beginning of this year.
Such contaminations include a rat found in a bowl of miso soup in western Japan and part of a cockroach discovered in a take-out item in Tokyo.
Sukiya temporarily shut almost all of its 1,900 branches at the end of March for four days for cleaning.
New steps include performing a concentrated cleanup daily at shops from 3 a.m. to 4 a.m.
They also include gradual renovation of aged outlets and altering kitchens to improve hygiene.
Sukiya officials say they will do their best to prevent food contamination by vermin and restore customer trust.
Sukiya to halt 24-hour operations – nhk.or.jp
