TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese beef-bowl restaurant operator Sukiya Co. said Saturday it will temporarily close almost all of its outlets nationwide to take sanitary measures after a rat and a cockroach were found in served food.

In a rare move for a major restaurant chain operator, Sukiya's nearly 2,000 outlets will be shut from 9 a.m. Monday to 9 a.m. Friday while steps will be taken to block the entry of pests and vermin.

Some outlets such as those in shopping malls will be excluded from the closure.

"We are taking the situation seriously," the Tokyo-based company said in a statement.

According to Sukiya, a customer reported on Friday that a portion of a cockroach was found in a take-out item from an outlet near JR Akishima Station in western Tokyo.

The person in charge of the restaurant apologized to the customer and gave them a refund. The outlet voluntarily stopped operating from Friday afternoon, according to Sukiya.

A week before, Sukiya announced that a rat had been discovered in a bowl of miso soup that was served at an outlet in Tottori in January.

The chain took measures to improve hygiene, such as carrying out visual checks and educating its staff, across its outlets, but has opted to take even further measures.