After being closed for nearly five months due to a major pest issue, the Whole Foods Market on Stevens Creek Boulevard in Cupertino has reopened to shoppers.

On Monday, the parking lot was nearly full as regular customers returned. Many said they had been traveling to the Sunnyvale Whole Foods during the closure and were pleased to once again have access to their neighborhood store.

“It was upsetting to hear all the reports about the rodent problem and it felt like it took them quite some time to resolve it, but hopefully it won’t happen again,” said shopper Prateek Kakirwar.

Back in April, Santa Clara County health inspectors suspended the store’s operating permit after documenting rodent droppings in food-prep areas, live cockroaches in the bakery, snap traps behind equipment, and even an “adult female roof rat” discovered in the deli. The investigation later found the infestation had spread to the sales floor, with droppings beneath produce displays.

Officials noted that new state restrictions on anticoagulant rodenticides may have contributed to the lengthy closure. Dr. Marilyn Underwood, director of the county’s Environmental Health Department, explained that Whole Foods’ pest control provider asked for a waiver to use the recently banned chemicals, but the request was rejected.

“Chances are, if they had been allowed to use rodenticides, Whole Foods might have been able to reopen sooner,” Underwood said, calling the drawn-out case “very unusual.” She also suggested the rodents were likely coming from a nearby field that provided a harborage.

When inspectors returned on Sept. 10, they found no evidence of rodents or cockroaches and declared the market safe to resume operations.

Longtime customer Pat Ridley, who has shopped at the Cupertino location since its opening, said she has no worries about food safety moving forward. “I’ve heard people say, ‘Oh no, I won’t shop there again,’ but my feeling is these things happen—it’s fine.”

The latest inspection report confirmed that the store had been thoroughly cleaned, door sweeps were added at all entrances, and nearby tree branches touching the building were trimmed back.

In a recent statement, Whole Foods said the shutdown also gave them an opportunity to “make significant updates to the store and refresh the decor, creating an improved shopping experience for customers.”

According to Dr. Underwood, Santa Clara County has already recorded more food facilities closed for vermin-related issues this year than in the same time frame last year. She added that officials will continue monitoring the rise in such cases.