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San Francisco restaurant's grand opening on hold after thieves burglarize and party inside space
A new restaurant in San Francisco set to open next month was burglarized over the weekend. The owners said their grand opening will be delayed because the thieves not only stole furniture and equipment, it appeared they hosted a large party.
SAN FRANCISCO - A new restaurant in San Francisco set to open next month was burglarized over the weekend.
The owners said their grand opening will be delayed because the thieves not only stole furniture and equipment, it appeared they hosted a large party.
"They put the whole thing up and cover the top," said co-owner Daniel Bomya as he pointed to the windows and front door of Ramen Hiroshi, a Japanese restaurant on Kearny Street in San Francisco's Financial District. They were covered, not by the owners, but the thieves who broke in sometime late Friday night or early Saturday morning.
"We are frustrated. We are angry, but we're more surprisingly disappointed," said Bomya.
The two-story restaurant was set to open for business in less than two weeks.
The owners said the thieves stole their surveillance camera system and left behind evidence that they held a large underground party here that lasted for hours.
The owners found garbage bags filled with empty bottles, cans, cigarette butts and a lingering odor of marijuana.
"They had a huge drinking and smoking party and they stole stuff that we needed to open our business," said Bomya.
Tables were among the items the owners said were stolen. Wine storage units were left empty. The owners said it was an organized effort.
The thieves put up large banners letting party-goers know where the bathrooms are located.
"They may even charge people to get in," said Bomya, "Hey, this is a free space. Come on at 9 and let's do this."
The owners said people got sick at the gathering.
"They throw up right here. It was huge. We had to clean it up," said co-owner Aung Khaing as he showed a KTVU crew the second floor where the thieves had moved furniture around.
The owners said they've put in a new alarm system and surveillance cameras.
Next will be an iron gate.
They filed a report with police and said they want to alert other business owners.
"We don't want other business to happen like us. It's already hard enough for us to open a restaurant these days," said Bomya.
The owners said the original grand opening was scheduled for December 10.
But with so many items they need to replace or repair, they estimated that it'll take a month or two to be able to open for business.