INSIDE. SITTING ON FOLSOM BOULEVARD IN EAST SACRAMENTO, OAKLAND RESTAURANT IS A SPACE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER. SO WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE A SPACE THAT HONORS LIKE THE MELTING POT OF CULTURES THAT IS IN SACRAMENTO. SUSAN, MARY’S FAMILY OPENED THE RESTAURANT ALMOST FOUR YEARS AGO, BUT FOR THE LAST THREE WEEKS, THEIR DOORS HAVE BEEN CLOSED. IT’S BEEN A REALLY, LIKE, SAD, TRAUMATIZING TIME FOR MY FAMILY. EARLY CHRISTMAS MORNING, SHE SAYS, SOMEONE BROKE INTO THE RESTAURANT AND VANDALIZED IT. THE FIRE WAS SET AS WELL. SO LIKE IN ADDITION TO LIKE THINGS BEING BROKEN AND STUFF, THERE’S JUST SO MUCH SOOT EVERYWHERE. YOU JUST SEE, IT’S ALL LIKE, YOU KNOW, ALL YOUR WORK IS GONE. THEIR FAMILY IS WORKING WITH INVESTIGATORS AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO REOPEN THE RESTAURANT. BUT THEIR BIGGEST CONCERN RIGHT NOW, THEIR EMPLOYEES. THIS PROVIDES JOBS AND LIKE LIVES FOR PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, IT PUTS FOOD ON THE TABLE. IT PAYS RENT. AND THAT’S JUST PART OF THE TRAGEDY. THAT’S WHY IT WAS SO HEARTWARMING FOR THEM TO SEE. A GOFUNDME STARTED TO SUPPORT THEIR STAFF. A LOT OF THEIR HEART AND SOUL WENT INTO THAT RESTAURANT. JOEL AYERS, A FRIEND OF THE CERES, STARTED IT AFTER HE SAYS THE COMMUNITY WAS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO HELP, BUT WASN’T SURE HOW. WE WENT TO THEM AND SAID, WE WANT TO DO A FUNDRAISER FOR YOU. THEY SAID, WE DON’T WANT THAT. WE WANT TO TAKE CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES. AND AND IF YOU CAN HELP THEM, THAT WOULD BE APPRECIATIVE. THE MONEY RAISED WILL BE SPLIT BETWEEN THE RESTAURANT’S 25 EMPLOYEES AS THEY WAIT TO GET BACK TO WORK. IT FEELS REALLY GOOD TO KNOW THAT, LIKE, EVERYONE’S SUPPORTING AND LIKE ON YOUR SIDE. IT’S MOMENTS LIKE THAT WHEN THE COMMUNITY SHOWS UP THAT MAKE THE CERES EXCITED TO GET THEIR DOORS BACK OPEN. YEAH, EVERYONE’S JUST BEEN SUPER LOVING DURING THIS TIME. AND IT HELPS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU FEEL SO ALONE WHEN YOU GO THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE COME TOGETHER FOR US, LIKE IT’S BEEN REALLY UPLIFTING. AND THE GOOD NEWS TONIGHT THEY ARE HOPING TO GET THE RESTAURANT BACK OPEN, BUT WITH JUST HOW MUCH DAMAGE THERE IS INSIDE AND MANAGING THE INSURANCE CLAIMS, THEY DON’T HAVE A TIMELINE RIGHT NOW ON WHEN THAT WILL BE. LIVE IN EAST SACRAMENTO PEYTON HEADLEE KCRA T
‘It’s been really uplifting’: East Sacramento community supports Brickland staff after Christmas vandalism
Updated: 10:36 PM PST Jan 16, 2026
Brickland Restaurant in East Sacramento has been closed since Christmas morning after a break-in and vandalism, leaving the family-owned business and its employees in a difficult situation.Suzan Amiri, whose family opened the restaurant nearly four years ago, said Sacramento police are still searching for the person responsible. “It’s been a really, like, sad, traumatizing time for my family,” Amiri said. “There was a break-in and some things were taken, and then also a fire was set as well. So, in addition to things being broken and stuff, there’s just so much soot everywhere.”She said her family is collaborating with investigators and their insurance company to reopen the restaurant, but their main concern is their employees after three weeks without work. “This provides jobs and lives for people, you know? It puts food on the table, it pays rent, and that’s just part of the tragedy,” David Amiri said. In response, Joel Ayres, a friend of the owners, started a GoFundMe to support the restaurant’s 25 employees. He said the community was looking for ways to help, but wasn’t sure how.”We went to them and said, ‘Well, we want to do a fundraiser for you.’ They said, ‘We don’t want that. We want to take care of our employees and if you can help them, that would be appreciated,’” Ayres said. The funds raised will be distributed among the staff as they await the restaurant’s reopening.”It feels really good to know that, like everyone’s supporting and like on your side,” David Amiri said. “Everyone’s just been super loving during this time, and it helps because, you know, you feel so alone when you go through something like that. And to see so many people come together for us, it’s been really uplifting,” Suzan Amiri added.While the family hopes to reopen the restaurant, the extent of the damage and ongoing insurance claims mean they do not have a timeline for when that will happen.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Brickland Restaurant in East Sacramento has been closed since Christmas morning after a break-in and vandalism, leaving the family-owned business and its employees in a difficult situation.
Suzan Amiri, whose family opened the restaurant nearly four years ago, said Sacramento police are still searching for the person responsible.
“It’s been a really, like, sad, traumatizing time for my family,” Amiri said. “There was a break-in and some things were taken, and then also a fire was set as well. So, in addition to things being broken and stuff, there’s just so much soot everywhere.”
She said her family is collaborating with investigators and their insurance company to reopen the restaurant, but their main concern is their employees after three weeks without work.
“This provides jobs and lives for people, you know? It puts food on the table, it pays rent, and that’s just part of the tragedy,” David Amiri said.
In response, Joel Ayres, a friend of the owners, started a GoFundMe to support the restaurant’s 25 employees. He said the community was looking for ways to help, but wasn’t sure how.
“We went to them and said, ‘Well, we want to do a fundraiser for you.’ They said, ‘We don’t want that. We want to take care of our employees and if you can help them, that would be appreciated,’” Ayres said.
The funds raised will be distributed among the staff as they await the restaurant’s reopening.
“It feels really good to know that, like everyone’s supporting and like on your side,” David Amiri said.
“Everyone’s just been super loving during this time, and it helps because, you know, you feel so alone when you go through something like that. And to see so many people come together for us, it’s been really uplifting,” Suzan Amiri added.
While the family hopes to reopen the restaurant, the extent of the damage and ongoing insurance claims mean they do not have a timeline for when that will happen.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel