‘Just flabbergasted’: Sudbury drive-thru closed by health department: What’s next

A beloved drive-thru coffee shop in Sudbury is shutting down after being told by the town that they can no longer sell egg sandwiches, a decision that left owner Debby Johnston in shock.

Debby’s Drive-Thru Coffee located in the parking lot of Sudbury Crossing on Route 20, has been open for 12 years. Operating out of a former Fotomat kiosk, which developed film in the 1960s and 1970s, Johnston built a loyal group of customers who she said have never complained about the quality or safety of her food.

“I’m just flabbergasted because there has never been a problem with my eggs and my egg sandwiches in the 12 years that I’ve been doing this,” Johnston said. “I was totally shocked that I couldn’t be allowed to do something that was safe and appreciated by the entire community for all of these years.”

Sudbury health director had concerns with egg preparation methods

Johnston said the Sudbury public health director came to the coffee shop last week and asked her to show how she cooked her eggs.

Following the visit, the town informed her that they deemed the cooking method to be unsanitary and unsafe. She was told by the town that she was only allowed to stay open if she only sold coffee and baked goods, which she said was not financially feasible given the rent she pays for the coffee shop.

No one from the Health Department returned a request for comment.

Johnston informed her customers of the Aug. 21 closing through a Facebook post, which was met with both disappointment for Johnston, and support for her in her hope to reopen the business.

“Your support has meant the world to me. It’s a reminder of just how special the little shop is to our town, and I am deeply grateful for the outpouring of care and encouragement,” Johnston said in her Facebook post.

Johnston said that she had been planning to take a step back from day-to-day operations and hand over much of the work to a longtime customer, who dreamed of running her own coffee shop. Johnston, who often works from 3:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m., hopes that the transition will allow her to reduce her hours, while still being able to serve her customers during the day.

What the Sudbury Board of Health will say during an upcoming meeting

Johnston said that the coffee shop will not reopen until the town approves them to begin selling their egg sandwiches again.

There will be a Board of Health meeting on Monday, Aug. 25, where she will ask the board to overturn their decision and allow her to sell the egg sandwiches as she has been for the past 12 years.

Many customers of Debby’s Drive-Thru are repeat customers, whom Johnston has become friends with, and she formed a close community, which she does not want to give up on.

“It’s been everything. A majority of my customers are friends; they’re my community, I love them,” Johnston said.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Debby’s Drive-Thru closed by Sudbury Health Department: What’s next