A Fort Smith, Arkansas, Chili's was the focus of a Salmonella outbreak in 2000. A family and persons who attended a catered luncheon were the first groups to report illness. Within two weeks over 50 illnesses were attributed to the restaurant. Upon investigation, Salmonella Newport was isolated from the stool of several of the food handers. The restaurant was finally closed in mid July. The restaurant was cleaned, handwashing stations were upgraded, and a table where employees ate during breaks was eliminated. The primary cause for the outbreak was cross contamination between raw poultry and fresh salsa. A secondary cause was food handler contamination which continued to propogate the outbreak and provided ongoing exposure to restaurant patrons.