Introduction
1555 Adams Avenue Costa Mesa, CA 92626. This familiar street is home to many restaurants; Kenwood’s Kitchen & Tap, Descanso, Mokkoji Shabu Shabu, Habit Burger & Grill and Jerry’s Wood-Fired Dogs. And finally, The Kebab Shop. Founded by A.J. Akbar and Tony Farmand, the chain was created in 2006 in San Diego. Known for their signature chicken kebab wrap (often called the “D-Wrap” or grilled chicken wrap) with their green garlic-style sauce, this chain was been a staple of life in Costa Mesa for a long time.
Situation
On March 28th, 2026, Jeffrey Gogue and his family were looking for a good place to eat. Eventually, they settled on the renowned Kebab Shop. They ordered the chicken plate and a beef kofta plate. They shared some food with their 3 year old daughter, only identified as “KG.”
Only 24 hours later, she started suffering extreme symptoms, such as bloody dirahrea, nausea and vomiting. On April 3rd, her worsening condition made her parents take her to the hospital, where she was diagonosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that damages small blood vessels, leading to the destruction of red blood cells, low platelets, and acute kidney injury.
She would remain there for another 16 days. Across California, investigators have noticed a large spike in cases linked to an E. coli outbreak linked to beef kofta sold at Kebab Shop locations across California during a similar timeframe KG got sick. The California Department of Public Health later identified nine other illnesses connected to the outbreak as of May 19, including six children. Two of these children also experienced similar illness and symptoms as KG, hemolytic uremic syndrome.
Aftermath
Jeffrey Gouge and his family opened a civil lawsuit against The Kebab Shop (restaurant chain) and the beef supplier (Olympia Foods). They claim the restaurant and supplier:
- Failed to properly test meat
- Failed to ensure food safety standards were met
- Sold a product that was unsafe for consumption
As of right now, the situation (along with the outbreak) is being investigated by health agencies. Olympia Foods, their supplier, has been shut down. The company continues to claim that they were not at fault for a broader E. coli outbreak. The Kebab Shop remains open for business.
The Kebab Shop released a statement on May 28 saying that the chain is working with public health officials “to ensure the integrity of our products.” It also said on May 24 that Olympia Foods no longer supplies the restaurant.
