140 reports of food poisoning after eating at Sushi Nine, forcing temporary closure

The co-owner of a popular Raleigh sushi restaurant is responding after dozens of people got sick after eating there.

Wake County Environmental Services is investigating 140 cases of foodborne illness at Sushi Nine on Western Boulevard. The restaurant closed for 48 hours but has since reopened.

Lisa Fatfat, co-owner of Sushi Nine, told WRAL News: "Because we prioritize the safety of our patrons and the community, our team at Sushi Nine decided to voluntarily close the restaurant for 48 hours. With this time we have taken proactive steps to address recent reports of alleged food poison. We are conducting a thorough deep clean and inspection of our restaurant. Our team is cooperating fully with local health officials."

The first case was reported on Nov. 30. People reported nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Kevin Koewler said he had dinner at Sushi Nine recently and got up in the middle of the night and felt terrible.

"I woke up in the middle of the night and I was sicker than a dog," Koewler said. "I thought I was going to die."

One woman said her boyfriend got sick along with her neighbor after eating sushi from Sushi Nine. She had to take her boyfriend to urgent care for a hydration issue.

Investigators say it's too early to tell what caused the virus. They are looking at food storage and preparation as well as norovirus.

"It is a possibility," said Ashley Whittington with Wake County Environmental Services. "The nausea, vomiting and diarrhea symptoms are in line with norovirus symptoms and there's always a concern. especially this time of year that there was a customer or employee that was possibly shedding the virus and symptoms and that may have led to contamination on surfaces in the restaurant."

The county said they received a complaint about the restaurant on Dec. 1 and got more complaints in the following days, which prompted county staff to recommend that the restaurant temporarily close.

Austin Freels ate at the restaurant with his family and friends days before his wedding. He says not long after several people started feeling sick.

“So Friday night, the night before your wedding is traditionally the rehearsal dinner. You know your closest friends and family come in. I missed that that entire thing because I was in the ER,” Freels said.

Freels says he had agonizing stomach pain, and more than a week later he still isn't back to normal.

“I went to get a CT scan on my stomach and they said it was one of the most severe cases of food poisoning they had seen," Freels said. "I can barely still eat. Right now I’m still on the brat diet for nearly 7 days and I’ve lost about 8 pounds from where I was.”

Sushi Nine closed voluntarily on Tuesday, Dec. 5. On Thursday afternoon, the county approved Sushi Nine to reopen.

If you ate at Sushi Nine between From Nov. 30 through Dec. 4 and got sick, you're asked to report that to the Wake County Communicable Disease Hotline at 919-250-4462.