Four KC small businesses targeted in weekend string of break-ins, as frustrations mount
A slew of small business break-ins Sunday morning targeted at least four Kansas City area businesses, including three on Southwest Boulevard. This latest string of robberies comes amid a wave of similar small business break-ins, as well as financial losses due to last week’s blizzard, adding to the unease felt by many small business owners in the metro.
Seven Swans, located at 1746 Washington Street, found their front window shattered around 5 a.m., according to an Instagram post. Their cash drawer was emptied and their safe stolen.
“We are stunned and saddened, especially after having lost last Sunday sales to the winter storm,” Seven Swans said in the Instagram post Sunday. “Today is our 5th birthday to the day of our grand opening January 12, 2020. We are resilient, just like all of our other neighbors who’ve dealt with this insanity for the past year.”
Both Sagebrush and Garden House located at 1639 Southwest Boulevard were broken into around 5:30 a.m.
“It’s never an ideal scenario, but it hits hard during these slow months. If you’re ever going to support local now’s the time,” Sagebrush said in an Instagram post.
Jordan Fox, owner of Garden House, woke up to a message from the owner of Sagebrush about the break-in and arrived around 6 a.m.
“Just about an hour after discovering the break-ins, we had the doors boarded,” Fox said in a statement. “I then decided we need to attempt to recoup cost so I posted online about opening. We then proceeded to get slammed all day with support which really helps.”
La Bodega, located at 703 Southwest Boulevard, was broken into just after 6:30 a.m. This is the third time in six weeks, according to a Facebook Post.
“The city and the leadership MUST make immediate changes or lose all of their retail and restaurants. There is NO excuse for this continued criminal activity and property destruction,” La Bodega said in the post. “As citizens, we must turn up the pressure and demand accountability from our elected officials.”
Frustrations mount as break-ins continue
Several owners of food and drink establishments in Kansas City who previously spoke with The Star described their frustrations with the recent spate of break-ins and property crime in the city, the financial and emotional toll those incidents have exacted and possible solutions they’d like to see the community pursue.
The frustration comes as Kansas City police say property crime was actually down by 3% in November 2024 compared to November 2023.
“We’ve stepped up a lot of enforcement to address some of the property crimes issues in Kansas City and that’s been all across our city, there’s not one specific space,” Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves told members of the media following a roundtable discussion on public safety with leaders of community improvement districts (CIDs) in the city.
In response to public outcry, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas proposed the Back to Business Grant in September to help small businesses recover from burglary and vandalism incidents.
Eligible businesses can receive up to $3,000 for repairs of broken windows, doors and locks, and up to $5,000 for security measures related to incidents that happen between July 1, 2024 and July 31, 2025.
But the application process has also discouraged some potential applicants.
Alan Kneeland, who owns The Combine KC and serves as president of the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association, previously told The Star he had heard from other business owners that the application process was confusing and frustrating to work through. Some just gave up on the process altogether, he said.
“I don’t think this is just a conversation that city council or city leaders should just be having on their own and trying to solve by themselves,” he said.
The Star reached out to several local police departments, including Kansas City Police and Kansas City, Kansas, Police for details regarding the investigations, but did not receive further information.
The Star’s Nathan Pilling contributed.
