In-N-Out Burger announced on Sunday that it is closing its only location in Oakland, California, due to crime making the neighborhood dangerous for employees and customers.
Annual crime statistics released by the Oakland Police Department show that robberies in the area jumped 38% between 2022 and 2023, while burglaries increased by 23%, according to a report from The Mercury News. The location that is closing is only a couple of miles away from Oakland International Airport.
Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick made the announcement, saying that “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.”
Crime at the location was so bad that security guards told a local publication that they took more theft reports than any other property they patrol, saying that they see about five break-ins at the location on a “regular” day.
The location will officially close on Sunday, March 24, 2024.
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“We are grateful for the local community, which has supported us for over 18 years, and we recognize that this closure negatively impacts our Associates and their families,” Warnick said. “Additionally, this location remains a busy and profitable one for the company, but our top priority must be the safety and well-being of our Customers and Associates – we cannot ask them to visit or work in an unsafe environment.”
Warnick said all employees can transfer to a nearby In-N-Out location for employment or receive a severance package.
“In-N-Out Burger has a history of supporting the Oakland community through charitable giving that predates the opening of our location there,” the statement concluded. “Although we will no longer do business there, we will continue to support local charitable organizations in Oakland through our In-N-Out Burger Foundation and Slave 2 Nothing Foundation.”