Despite the popularity of the Bay Area location, corporate feels that the safety of guests and workers at the restaurant chain came first
Irvine, Calif.-based quick-service restaurant In-N-Out Burger announced Sunday plans to close its Oakland, Calif., location due to increased crime.
The single Oakland, Calif. location will be closed permanently on March 24, according to an In-N-Out statement.
“We have made the decision to close our In-N-Out Burger location in Oakland, Calif., due to ongoing issues with crime. Despite taking repeated steps to create safer conditions, our customers and associates are regularly victimized by car break-ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies,” said chief operating officer Denny Warnick in a statement. “Additionally, this location remains a busy and profitable one for the company, but our top priority must be the safety and wellbeing of our customers and associates - we cannot ask them to visit or work in an unsafe environment.”
Warnick continued that all associates would have the option to transfer to another In-N-Out store or accept a severance package.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that since 2019, police have recorded 1,335 incidents in and around the restaurant. Most of the reported incidents were car break-ins targeting visitors coming through Oakland International Airport.
The In-N-Out is located near Hegenberger Road and 98th Avenue. Oakland mayor Sheng Thao said in a statement Monday that she has prioritized “this critical gateway to Oakland” by increasing police presence and adding technology to deter crime through Oakland’s ceasefire strategy.
Other businesses near the intersection include Wingstop, Subway, and Raising Cane’s.
In-N-Out is not the only restaurant chain facing these problems. The nearby Raising Cane’s unit closed its dining room and moved employee parking to a gated lot. Two Starbucks locations and a Subway unit closed in late 2023 due to an increase in crime along the Hegenberger Road and 98th Avenue corridor.
According to police department data, violent crime in the city last year increased 21% over 2022. Vehicle break-ins increased 23% and vehicle theft increased 45%.
Many Oakland businesses, along with Raising Cane’s and In-N-Out, have cited vehicle break-ins and thefts as a major reason for closures.
Oakland’s popular Vietnamese restaurant Le Cheval closed its doors back in September. Owner Son Tran told CBS News Bay Area that crime was killing his business.
Chef Leilani Baugh, former owner of Magnolia Street Wine Lounge and Kitchen, also told CBS News Bay Area that crime killed her business too.
“It’s like a zombie apocalypse around here and, so, it’s frustrating that the police can’t police. It’s frustrating that we have a district attorney who doesn’t prosecute. It’s frustrating that we have a mayor that I don’t know what she’s doing,” Baugh said.
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