LENEXA, Kan. -- The Mi Ranchito restaurant in Lenexa has been given the all clear to reopen, despite the fact that test results are still under investigation after dozens of people got sick while eating there on two separate occasions.
On Thursday afternoon the Kansas Department of Agriculture said they have lifted the suspension order.
A spokesperson says the restaurant has passed a food safety inspection with 100 percent compliance.
And all employees have passed a food service training course.
The restaurant is on 95th street, just west of I-35. It reopened for lunch Thursday and waitresses waved a banner saying "we're open" to lure back customers.
Mi Ranchito had been closed for 24 days after 20 customers suddenly gotten sick on August 30th. Others had gotten sick on August 11th, too.
"Here we are, ready to serve them again, I want them to give us another chance," said the owner, Rulber De la Torre. "It felt better when I got the word it wasn't out fault."
De la Torre claims he's been cleared by state health officials, but he says his lawyer won't let him discuss what actually happened.
"I couldn't comment, but I know it's not our fault," he said.
State officals say the staff has had more training, and the restaurant passed an inspection with a perfect score.
Customers eating there Thursday afternoon were not worried.
"I work in the restaurant business, and it happens. You miss something on their checklist and they shut you down," said Molly O'Donnell, a customer.
While they were closed, the restaurant replaced copper pipes in case it was a water or plumbing problem. At that time, is was suspected as a poisoning resulting from a chemical reaction caused by carbonation coming into contact with copper pipes in the soft drink dispenser.
But some people who got sick reportedly did not have soft drinks.
The restaurant owners have said that the copper problem may have affected the entire water supply, but has since been fixed.
Rumors have swirled about what or whom to blame for the illnesses, and a cause has still not been officially identified.
