"Unexplainable, unsafe - Pizza Hut workers report 'blazing' kitchen heat & illness on shift", 24 June 2025

Employees at a Pizza Hut in Lafayette LA, say they have been working in unsafe conditions, enduring months of extreme workplace heat due to a broken air conditioning system...

Charles McKinley, a regular customer and president of a local advocacy group called Concerned Community Crusaders, said he visited the restaurant and found staff visibly struggling...

McKinley said he returned at another time and was told some staff had left mid-shift due to heat-related illness...

A manager at the location confirmed the air conditioning system has been out of service for six months. The problem was less urgent during the winter, but with high summer temperatures, conditions have deteriorated.

The business reportedly needs to bring in $5,000 a week to cover expenses but has not been able to meet that target. The manager added that staff feel like they are “waiting ducks” as they hope for repairs...

Despite acknowledging the problem, no repairs have yet been completed. Workers continue to report sweltering conditions, illness, and customer dissatisfaction.

The manager said the company is “trying to fit the AC” into its budget, but staff remain in limbo, and very hot.