Lettuce fears hurting business

CHATANOOGA, Tenn. (NBC, KYMA) - The owner of a Chattanooga salad restaurant says he may have to shut his doors for good. He says he's seeing business plummet because people are concerned about a recent outbreak in stomach parasites.

Sean Alexander is the owner of Northshore's Build-A-Salad, a self-serve restaurant with a singular focus, salads.

He says since the restaurant's opening in February, he's seen steady business, until a few days ago.

Among growing health concerns nationwide over parasite tainted salads many have opted to avoid lettuce and leafy greens altogether.

Data gathered by Placer, an analytics platform, it shows Taco Bell saw foot traffic drop by nearly 20% over three days, while Cava , Chipotle and Panera Bread also saw declines over the same period.