Oakland’s Raising Cane’s is closing its dining room due to car break-ins and thefts in the area

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — Raising Cane’s in Oakland closed its dining room this week due to a crime. They only allow drive-thru.

“After multiple car break-ins in our parking lot, as well as numerous other thefts in the neighborhood, we have proactively made the decision to close our dining facility and operate our business via drive-thru only,” said the company to ABC7 News in a statement.

INTERACTIVE: Take a look at the ABC7 neighborhood safety tracker

Crime in Oakland is hurting businesses struggling to recover from the pandemic. From fast-food chains to local stores, many say crime keeps people from Oakland.

“It’s an everyday crime in terms of vandalism and break-ins,” said Nigel Jones, owner of Calabash and Kingston 11 in Uptown Oakland. “We have people who come in, have a good meal and have a good time, but then they go back to their car and see their windows smashed.”

Jones says it keeps people from eating at his restaurant. However, even if people come to eat at his restaurant, sometimes he doesn’t have enough waiters for them. He says many left in the pandemic and did not return.

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“It’s a transient workforce,” he said. “Even if you have a good hand this week, next week might not be the same, so you have to constantly think about replenishing your squad.”

Jones admits owning a restaurant in Oakland isn’t easy. Not only is the industry struggling with a lack of workers, Jones says constant crime means fewer people are eating at his restaurants. He hopes the city will find a good solution.

“We need a combination of a lot of things in terms of social and community intervention to address this issue,” he said.

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