Local Crime Forces Famous Burger Chain to Close

(ProsperNews.net) – Fast food chain In-N-Out Burger is closing its only outlet in Oakland, California because crime has made the area too dangerous for its employees. Data from the Oakland Police Department revealed that robberies in the surrounding location jumped by 38% between 2022 and 2023, while burglaries rose by 23% over the same period.

Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick announced the outlet’s closure, saying that despite the company’s efforts to improve safety measures, its staff were still subjected to regular “car break-ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies.”

Warnick said the branch would close in March but promised to continue its charity work in the area. Staff members will transfer to other branches or receive a severance package. “We are grateful for the local community, which has supported us for over 18 years,” Mr. Warnick said.

The burger chain follows a growing number of major retailers closing their doors because of crime. The number of businesses shutting down branches soared across the US through 2022 and 2023 as retail crime skyrocketed. Giants, including Starbucks and McDonald’s, have responded by closing their doors, as has Nike, who closed an outlet in Seattle. Major banks, including JPMorgan Chase, have instituted limited ATM hours in crime hotspots.

Last September, department store chain Target announced the closure of nine outlets across four cities, including San Francisco and Portland. Target said crime had led to an “unsustainable business performance.” The retailer closed one store in New York City, two in Seattle, three in Portland, and three in San Francisco and Oakland.

In Portland, an epicenter of several left-wing groups, other major companies, including Nike and Cracker Barrel, also shut down branches. After the city’s police budget was decimated following the Black Lives Matter riots in 2020, crime exploded in Portland, with retail particularly severely affected. Outdoor equipment retailer REI complained of the “highest number of break-ins and thefts in two decades, despite actions to provide extra security.”