Greg Dawson opened his first ''Dawson Tea and Spice Shoppe'' (DTSS) in 2002 in Tempe, Arizona. DTSS originally specialized in selling loose leaf teas, bulk spices, and brewed tea beverages. Over the years, Greg opened additional stores and now has a total of 29 stores located throughout the Southwest. With the additional stores, Greg also expanded the menu. DTSS now sells light breakfast items (scones, muffins, and croissants), sandwiches, salads, soups, and beverages (tea, coffee, espresso, and fresh fruit juices). DTSS continues to sell loose leaf tea and bulk and packaged spices. In January 2019, more than 100 DTSS customers became very ill and required hospitalization. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) determined this was due to salmonella poisoning that was associated with salads that customers purchased and ate at DTSS. The food poisoning was so severe that some customers experienced kidney and/or liver damage. DTSS was using a new vendor, Maria's Euro-Farms, for spinach and leafy greens in the salads, which the CDC determined was the cause of the salmonella poisoning. DTSS did not know much about Maria's Euro-Farms other than it had low prices on produce. DTSS had not reviewed Maria's Euro-Farms' controls and previous issues with salmonella