String of break-ins hit four local businesses, authorities still unclear on connection

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Four local restaurants are picking up the pieces after they were all hit by break-ins.

It happened overnight into Monday morning on the south side of town.

French Custard, The Littlest Bake Shop, Brookside Sushi, and Oddly Correct Coffee Bar, were all broken into.

For French Custard, this is the third time they have been broken into in the past year.

Jessica Wood and her husband own French Custard in Brookside. Wood said they had an extra glass windowpane stored in the back if it happened again, and now it did.

“It is incredibly shocking. I mean the first time it happened I think it was two weeks after we opened, so that felt just unreal, ” said Wood, “unfortunately after the second time we realized this is something that’s going to happen.”

Their door is now fixed, but a photo shows their front door completely shattered. Wood said they never keep their money in the registers, so the thieves often end up leaving without taking anything else.

“The first time it happened it felt targeted and weird and then we realized unfortunately people going around and break into as many businesses in an evening and making a night of it,” said Wood.

Brookside Sushi’s front door was also fixed as of Tuesday morning, but on the night of the break-in it was completely smashed in with piles of glass everywhere.

The owner said this is the second time money has been stolen from their business.

Two more businesses — The Littlest Bake Shop and Oddly Correct Coffee Bar had their front doors still boarded up Tuesday after the break-ins.

“I pulled in back and I saw her door was open and that’s not normal for her,” said Taylor Johnson, who works next door to the bakery.

Johnson said her heart dropped when she found out they were broken into.

“It broke my heart for her because she’s already going through replacing her refrigerator that went out, so it just made me feel extremely bad,” said Johnson.

Johnson said with a break-in happening too close to home they plan to add more security to their business.

“We’re not worried per se, but we will amp up security just to make sure it doesn’t happen to us,” Johnson said, “and we’re going to make sure we’re going to help out (to) make sure it doesn’t happen to her again.”

Copyright 2024 KCTV. All rights reserved.