Downtown Oakland vegan restaurant grapples with repeated burglaries
OAKLAND, Calif. - The owner of a vegan restaurant in Oakland said he is filled with a range of emotions after his establishment was hit for a fourth time by burglars.
"It's everything. It's crying, it's rage, it's anger, it's frustration, it's defeat," owner Imani Greer said Tuesday.
Roasted and Raw has moved several times and started as a pop-up in Jack London Square. It's now a brick-and-mortar at 14th and Jefferson streets in downtown Oakland.
"It's a very defeating feeling to just try so hard every day and even as a leader you don't have time to grieve," he said.
The most recent break-in happened at about 4:30 a.m. Monday.
"Couple guys, young guys, broke in, they basically hit the glass. Then they just go," explained Greer. "It's almost a routine."
A similar burglary happened in March, just as the restaurant was celebrating record lunch sales. And the restaurant has been hit twice before that.
"Unfortunately, all four of our break-ins have been young black males. They have been my own, my own people," Greer said. "And it's heartbreaking."
Greer doesn't blame police or politicians, but said it begins in the home and in schools.
"This is an Oakland problem. It's not City Hall's fault, it's everyone's fault. We all need to step up and do something," he said.
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But Greer says he has no choice but to stay put.
"Just because you get broken into a few times doesn't mean you can just pack up and leave. You're stuck into a lease, that if you leave, you're gonna have to deal with an eviction court," Greer said.
Oakland City Councilmember Carroll Fife stopped by the restaurant on Tuesday to pick up a breakfast sandwich. She's a regular customer, and the restaurant is in her district.
"We all are implicated in society's failures right now. Either you're part of the problem or you're part of the solution," Fife said. "California is a difficult state to live in, but that does not give you the right to hurt other people, to make sure your needs are met."
Greer had this message for the burglars: "Hold yourself accountable. Grow. Just because you were raised a certain way or weren't raised a certain way. Just because you come from a certain area, we can change. We can improve. There are jobs out here."
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTUV and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan