PEARLAND, TX (WFLA) –  A Houston business is fighting to restore his restaurant’s reputation amid fall from a photo making the rounds on social media.

Jimmy Chi ownsTose Steak & Sushi in Pearland, Texas. A photo, taken by a passerby back in April, shows him butchering an animal in the alley behind his business, According to KPRC.

The photo was just recently posted to the user’s Facebook page and now has gone viral with many fearing the butchered animal was served at the restaurant. Now, Chi wants his customers to know it’s all a big misunderstanding.

Chi says the hog was a gift from his friends who had recently gone hunting, KPRC reported.

“They went on a hunting trip that I was supposed to go on, but couldn’t, so they shot a couple hogs and gave me one,” Chi said.

Chi decided to cut up the hog in an alley behind his restaurant but now admits that was a mistake. He’s now concerned that the controversial photo may put his business on the chopping block.

“I want to apologize to all of my customers that it was really my poor decision process that hog at the back alley,” Chi said. “I totally understand. If I was a customer it would raise some concerns for me too.”

Houston affiliate KTRK spoke with the guy who originally took the photo and posted it online. The photo has since been taken down but Chi says the damage has been done and is now threatening legal action.

Days after the photo went viral, heath inspectors inspected Chi’s restaurant and found no signs that the pig was brought into the food establishment or served to customers.

Chi says he’s willing to shut down the restaurant for a day and conduct a deep cleaning to earn back skeptical customers.What others are clicking on: