A well-known, and much loved Oakland restaurant has once again been hit by burglars for the fifth time since 2023, and the owners say it’s hurting business.
The latest incident was captured on surveillance video, which showed three men in hoodies approach the front door of Everett and Jones barbecue on MacArthur Boulevard.
This is the second break-in at this Everett and Jones store since July, and the company is no stranger to early-morning burglaries.
“Our Broadway store just got burglarized,” said Nina Moore, Everett and Jones co-owner.
That was just last month. In 2023, just as they celebrated 50years in business, the company suffered another two break-ins that happened in 2023.
“Breaking in and jumping over our counter and trying to see if we have money in our drawer, which we don’t. We don’t. And they took it and just through it to the ground and ran out,” Moore said. “It’s getting costly. We’re having to cut hours, because we’re slow as it is. That last door, it cost us like a few thousand dollars.”
Five times since 2023 says Co-Owner Nina Moore, and it costs thousands of dollars in repairs each time.
Customers are frustrated too.
“I hate that this store, particularly, has been hit. This is probably one of the most successful Black restaurants we have in the Bay Area, and to hear this is really disheartening,” said Regina Hill, a Bay Area native.
They say it’s a sign of troubling times, where too many people are in need and doing desperate things to survive.
“Half of these people out here are hungry, and they’re looking for the means to survive,” said Joey Missouri of Merced.
“A lack of opportunities, a lack of jobs,” Hill said.
NBC Bay Area saw four Oakland police SUVs in the area Saturday afternoon, but the owners say the police presence needs to continue through the night every night.
“There needs to be more patrolling in this area. We’re not the only ones that have been victimized with this type of crime,” Moore said.