OAKLAND, Calif. (KRONA) – Everett and Jones Barbecue, a well-known black-owned restaurant in Oakland, was broken into early Saturday morning, the fifth such incident since 2023.
The break-in occurred at approximately 4 a.m. when three masked men entered the restaurant on MacArthur Street. Despite causing extensive damage, the suspects left empty-handed, finding no money in the register.
“They did more damage than they got. And they didn’t get anything,” said Nina Moore, co-owner of Everett & Jones BBQ. “And it’s frustrating because we can’t sleep at night – it happens all the time.”
Once inside, the suspects jumped over the counter and broke into the cash register, only to find it empty. They fled the scene in a black SUV, leaving behind the work applications that were inside the cash drawer.
The family expressed their disappointment and wished the suspects had asked for help instead. “Yes… Get a job. We’re hiring!” Moore said when asked if she had a message for the thieves.
Cathy Adams, president of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, noted that such incidents are part of a larger issue affecting small businesses in the area. “Every time you rob someone, you make people not want to continue working,” she said.
Everett and Jones Barbecue customers echoed those sentiments, emphasizing the restaurant’s importance to the community. “I really like this place – I come here often,” one customer said.
The Oakland Police Department quickly responded to the break-in, but no arrests have been made yet. The family hopes for justice and a safer future for their business.
Despite repeated break-ins, the family behind Everett and Jones BBQ remains committed to staying in Auckland, despite calling for increased police patrols and surveillance to protect local businesses.
Watch the full report from KRON4’s Michael Thomas in the video player above.
All facts contained in this report were collected by journalists working atCrohn4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat the broadcast transcript into a news article for our website. This report was edited and verified by KRON4 staff before deployment.