Rodent Problems Hit San Jose Targets

Target’s food operations at two San Jose stores were curtailed in late May after Santa Clara County inspectors found signs of rodent activity, according to county records and local reports. One store, at 450 N. Capitol Ave., stopped selling food after inspectors found rodent droppings and chewed packaging in a warehouse area on May 29, county officials told local media. A second Target at Westfield Oakridge on Blossom Hill Road was also cited the same week for rodent droppings, according to the Mercury News. The findings came about a year after a rodent-related closure at a Whole Foods Market in Cupertino drew attention to pest problems at South Bay food retailers. ### Which San Jose Target stores were affected? The two stores cited were the Target at 450 N. Capitol Ave. in San Jose’s Capitol Square shopping center and the Target at Westfield Oakridge on Blossom Hill Road, according to county-backed reporting and the Mercury News. The Capitol store’s non-food sections remained open, while food sales were halted pending corrective action. The Oakridge store was also temporarily closed after an inspection found evidence of rodents, the Mercury News reported. (sfgate.com) June 1 reports from NBC Bay Area and SFGATE focused on the Capitol Avenue store, where barriers were placed around the affected area and food was removed from shelves. Target told NBC Bay Area that customers needing groceries could use its nearby store at 1750 Story Rd. ### What exactly did inspectors find? Santa Clara County Environmental Health said inspectors found rodent droppings throughout the Capitol store’s food warehouse and chewing damage on food packages. (sfgate.com) SFGATE reported the inspection followed a complaint from the public, and county officials said the grocery section would remain closed until Target submitted a pest report and passed a follow-up inspection confirming the vermin had been eliminated. (nbcbayarea.com) The Mercury News reported that inspectors at the Oakridge store found rodent droppings in and near a room where dairy was stored. That store later reopened, according to local reporting summarized in subsequent coverage. ### How does Cupertino fit into this story? Cupertino’s Whole Foods at 20955 Stevens Creek Blvd. was shut down on April 22, 2025, after inspectors found rodent droppings in the receiving bay, deli, juice bar and under a sink, according to San José Spotlight. (sfgate.com) That closure lasted for months and became a local reference point for how a single grocery shutdown can redirect shoppers and draw scrutiny to nearby food sellers. (mercurynews.com) San José Spotlight reported in May 2025 that some nearby businesses saw more foot traffic after the Cupertino Whole Foods closed. The outlet quoted Voyager Craft Coffee co-owner Sameer Shah as saying his business saw a 5% increase in customers, while another nearby worker said neighboring businesses were taking extra precautions because of concerns about rodents moving elsewhere. (sanjosespotlight.com) ### Did officials say the Target cases were caused by the Cupertino closure? No public record reviewed here directly links the San Jose Target infestations to the Cupertino Whole Foods closure. The available reporting shows the events happened in the same wider South Bay retail corridor and within a period when local officials and news outlets were already tracking rodent-related shutdowns at food retailers. Any claim of direct cause would go beyond what county officials and the cited reports have stated publicly. (sanjosespotlight.com) Santa Clara County’s vector control district says rodents and wildlife can carry mites and fleas and provides inspection services for residents dealing with infestations. The county’s environmental health department separately publishes food-facility closure and inspection records through SCCDineOut. ### What has Target said, and what happens next? Target said in a statement to NBC Bay Area that “the safety and well-being of our guests and team members is Target’s highest priority” and that it had temporarily stopped selling food at the Capitol store to allow cleaning and sanitizing after reports of pest activity. (sfgate.com) The company said it was working with the local health department to address the problem. (vector.santaclaracounty.gov) Santa Clara County Environmental Health said the Capitol store’s food section can reopen once Target provides a pest report and inspectors confirm the vermin problem has been resolved. The county says inspection and closure records are available through SCCDineOut, which it describes as its official food-facility inspection platform. (sfgate.com) (nbcbayarea.com)