In-N-out is closing its only Oakland location because of “ongoing issues with crime,” the company said Tuesday.
While several locations have been relocated, the company has never closed a location in its 75-year history.
“We feel the frequency and severity of the crimes being encountered by our customers and associates leave us no alternative,” Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick said in a statement Tuesday.
The location near Oakland International Airport has been open for almost two decades and will officially shutter its doors March 24.
“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,” Warnick said.
The restaurant “remains a busy and profitable” location, but In-N-Out’s top priority is its employees and customers, Warnick said.
“We cannot ask them to visit or work in an unsafe environment,” Warnick said.
A host of businesses have closed in Oakland and cited crime as the reason, including a Raising Cane’s that closed its dining room in March, NBC Bay Area reported. Oakland police have increased patrols and cameras to help combat crime, according to the outlet.
All employees affected by the In-N-Out closure will be able to transfer to nearby In-N-Out locations or seek a severance package.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
