Board of Health backs staff after 14 violations cited at Debbie's Drive-Thru

SUDBURY — August 25, 2025 — Sudbury Board of Health publicly backs health director after inspection of Debbie's Drive-Thru draws online backlash. Chair Carol Bradford opened the Aug. 25 meeting saying Health Director Vivian Zhang had been "personally targeted over what was a routine inspection" that documented 14 violations on Aug. 12, including a dog in the food-prep area, uncovered fresh coffee placed on the parking-lot pavement, no hand washing between cash and food handling, raw shell eggs left out on a 95-degree day, and black mold inside the ice machine. Health Inspector Sean Jeffries said owner Debbie Johnston voluntarily closed the kiosk that day and passed an Aug. 18 re-inspection after the ice machine was serviced. Zhang said the egg sandwich was temporarily paused — not banned — pending an Aug. 27 meeting that was to include a prospective new owner, and noted a documented foodborne-illness complaint at the same shop on Aug. 12, 2024. Johnston, who has operated the kiosk for nearly 12 years, asked the board for a variance on her three-bucket wash-rinse-sanitize system. Members Susan Sama and Linda Huet-Clayton apologized to Zhang for the harassment; Sama confirmed on the record, "In no way, shape or form, did we put a restriction on her to stay closed."