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[Update: On Thursday, August 28, the Town of Sudbury shared a post on Facebook announcing that the parties involved found a code-compliant solution for the business to continue selling egg sandwiches. Debby’s Drive Thru has not yet announced a re-opening date.]
The Sudbury Board of Health met on Monday August 25. Among the items discussed was Debby’s Drive Thru, a coffee hut located in the Sudbury Crossing plaza on Boston Post Road. The business has been the subject of social media uproar following claims by the owner, Debby Johnston, that she was closing the business because the Sudbury Health Department would not allow her to serve egg breakfast sandwiches using a preparation method she claimed to have used for 12 years.
On Saturday, the MetroWest Daily News ran a headline “Just flabbergasted’: Sudbury drive-thru closed by health department: What’s next.” That headline was inaccurate. The Town of Sudbury had already published a statement, two days prior to MetroWest Daily News story, making it clear the Health Department had not forced the business to close.
“Please note that the Health Department did not revoke the food permit for Debby’s Drive Thru. The business was not ordered to close nor to stop serving. Most of the past issues which had been identified were promptly addressed. The Health Department has been working closely with the business owner to address any outstanding issues. Town staff is committed to helping Debby’s Drive Thru find a solution that fits the unique setup of the kiosk while protecting the health of patrons.”
How We Got Here
Following a routine inspection that revealed 14 code violations in early August, Sudbury’s Health Director, Vivian Zeng, was working with Johnston to find alternative methods for making egg sandwiches that would comply with code. Johnston addressed most of the violations that were identified, but the egg sandwiches, according to Zeng, were more complicated due to the extreme limitations of the hut in which the business operates.
Both the Town of Sudbury and Johnston have confirmed that the Health Department was working with the business to find alternatives in statements. However, Johnston told WCVB that the proposed alternatives, such as powdered eggs or pre-made patties, simply “don’t work for her.”
Johnston, in a Tuesday, August 19 Facebook post, announced the hut would reopen on August 20 and close following service on August 21. At the end of the post, Johnston shared Zeng’s email address and encouraged followers to voice their opinions. Johnston also put Zeng’s name and email address on the hut’s chalkboard menu, which was still displayed as of Sunday, August 24 when the hut was closed.
With rampant speculation on social media and incomplete or inaccurate reporting from WCVB and the MetroWest Daily News circulating, Zeng was targeted by a wave of emails that she described on Monday as harassment and personal attacks the likes of which she hadn’t experienced before in her career.
Inspection Reports Tell the Rest of the Story
During the August 25 meeting of the Board of Health, Health Department staff member Shaun Jeffery informed the board that his routine inspection in August uncovered 14 food code violations at the business. Jeffery cited a dog and dog bed that were found inside the hut, as well as dog hair and black mold on, and inside, an ice machine. Jeffery shared pictures at the request of Carol Bradford, chair of the Sudbury Board of Health.
Jeffery also noted a failure of staff to wash hands after handling cash, uncovered buckets of brewed coffee left on the ground in the parking lot as part of the owner’s self-described “cooling method,” and a carton of raw shell eggs left on a counter top on a hot day. Many of those issues were addressed promptly by Johnston according to Town officials, but Jeffery told the board that he went to his car to fill out his report after he had informed Johnston about the dangers of putting food on the ground, and when he returned to the hut “there was more coffee just sitting on the floor.”
Members of the Board of Health voiced concerns about uncovered food products on the ground outside a drive-thru located in a parking lot. Zeng noted that there were many risks of contamination in such a setting, and some of them were quite dangerous.
Zeng also informed the board that there had been a complaint about a food borne illness one year prior that allegedly traced back to Debby’s Drive Thru.
Johnston had previously claimed in her social media post announcing her closure that she had a track record of “12 yrs of making sandwiches w/o incident or complaint by the previous health directors or customers.”
Zeng informed the board that Johnston was made aware of the complaint and that her signature was on a form pertaining to the complaint.
“So Debby was notified about a complaint regarding her egg sandwiches a year ago during a food borne illness inspection conducted on August 12. I can share that inspection report. On August 12, 2024 the complainant reported eating an egg sandwich with eggs, cheese and bacon, as well as a coffee with oat milk. They stated experiencing vomiting afterwards and we have Debby’s signature on the inspection form confirming receipt and the discussion with the inspector regarding the egg sandwich food borne illness complaint involving nausea and vomiting.”
Staff also showed a picture of the form and signatures:
Zeng noted that last year’s violations were corrected. But she went on to explain that the combination of the complaint, and the egg-handling issues (and other violations) uncovered during this year’s inspection, led her to request a demonstration of the egg sandwich preparation. She clarified that use of a microwave is not the issue, but the repeated use of a plastic egg cooking device without proper sanitization between uses was a major concern, and was compounded by concerns about refrigeration of the eggs and a lack of air conditioning in the hut. According to Zeng, the full set of risk factors, facility limitations and violations led the department to enact a pause on service of the sandwiches and work with the business to find alternatives that would comply with code and ensure public safety.
Following the Facts
During the Board of Health meeting there were several public comments from patrons of Debby’s Drive Thru, and Johnston herself made a comment proposing an alternative method for sanitization for her egg sandwich equipment. There were also comments supporting the work of the Health Department, including one from Select Board Vice Chair, Janie Dretler. Ultimately, advocacy and support took a back seat to facts, public information and state law during the meeting.
The Board lamented that a routine inspection had been turned into such a large, public dispute. Zeng explained that the department had not shared pictures or reports with the media out of a desire to protect the reputation of the business.
“The media has been all over this. Our office operates with integrity and professionalism. My goal is never to harm a business but to be ensure the safety of the public and prevent people from getting sick. We always will report details to the board when requested. During inspections if we’re finding violations we always work with business owners to bring them up to compliance. And we don’t share the case details with the public or the media because generally the business owners are committed to correcting issues. It is unfortunate that this has been brought up so publicly, because this really should have been a professional exchange instead of a personal attack.”
At the conclusion of the conversation, Zeng indicated that she was still ready to work with the business owner to find a solution that complies with code later this week. She also noted that she was eager to work with a new owner, should Johnston follow through with plans to retire and hand over ownership to a new generation. Zeng emphasized that the business was a Sudbury icon, and her department wanted to help it be successful. “I’m always trying to support new owners coming into town. It’s exciting. Debby’s Drive Thru is an icon in Sudbury. I would love to meet the new owner…”