(KRON) — Car break-ins and thefts are some of the issues the city of Oakland is facing. One Oakland restaurant is fed up with it.
NIDO’s BackYard announced it has acquired a parking lot directly across the restaurant at 104 Oak St. In addition, the business hired security guards to watch over the lot.
“We have heard you loud and clear. We are sick and tired of our city not stepping up, so WE DID,” NIDO’s BackYard wrote in an email Thursday.
Customers will now be able to their cars with the peace of mind that their car is unlikely to be broken into. The parking lot is accessible and free for customers during NIDO’s operating hours.
“It’s a state of emergency at this point,” said Jenny Schwarz of NIDO’s restaurant. “Our businesses are really suffering. I think everyone we talk to business is down 20 to 30 percent, maybe 10 percent, but still, that’s all of our profits.”
NIDO’s BackYard is open Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. On weekends, it is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Last summer, NIDO’s hired full-time security but couldn’t afford to patrol the entire street.
In 2019, 5,041 car thefts were reported in Oakland, according to the FBI’s crime report. Oakland’s rate of 1,161.4 thefts per 100,000 people tops any other city in the country.
“(The parking lot is) currently free. Eventually, we will have to start charging for it because again this is not something we can afford to pay for ourselves, but we’re not making any money off it will just be a nominal fee just to cover expenses and keep people safe,” Schwarz said.
NIDO’s serves Mexcian cuisine and a variety of drinks, including margaritas, beer and wine. NIDO’s opened back in 2019. The business “focuses on seasonal Mexican cuisine along with a curated list of agave spirits and cocktails,” NIDO’s BackYard said on its website.
