au bon pain

I was just at Au Bon Pain on 38th & 3rd, and when I stepped outside with my coffee, a NYPost reporter and photographer stopped me to talk about the recent spate of rat sightings in that particular ABP, and their poor grades on recent health inspections. He said a story will run in tomorrow’s Post (headline: French Rats Invade! (?)). We stood on the corner and chatted about the recent KFC thing, and he agreed that if he could get them on video, it could be another front-page ‘scandal’. I had previously seen a little mouse in the ABP on 39th & Madison, (which they said they’d check out) but these guys said large rats were spotted this time. He asked me if I was still going to drink the coffee, and I shrugged and said ‘I went to Manhattan College, so rats in the eating area isn’t a huge deal to me.’ He smiled and said look in tomorrow’s News section.

Well, we’ll say one thing for the New York Post, they’re certainly more proactive than the NYC Health Department. Have any of you people seen rats at the Au Bon Pain? —MEGHANN MARCO