Business

In-N-Out Burger’s Oakland Location Closes Over Rampant Crime

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Julianna Frieman Contributor
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In-N-Out Burger’s sole location in Oakland, California, will close due to rampant crime, the restaurant brand announced Sunday.

The famous chain restaurant revealed that its Oakland location will shut down March 24 as a result of “ongoing issues with crime,” In-N-Out Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick said in a statement, according to CBS News.

“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. “Our last day of business in Oakland will be Sunday, March 24, 2024.”

The statement explained that despite the crime, the Oakland restaurant remained profitable.

“This location remains a busy and profitable one for the company, but our top priority must be the safety and wellbeing of our Customers and Associates – we cannot ask them to visit or work in an unsafe environment,” Warnick said in the statement.

Employees affected by the fast-food restaurant’s closure have the opportunity to transfer to another In-N-Out location, according to the statement. Those who opt out of transferring will receive a severance package. (RELATED: ‘Playing Politics With Public Safety’: Oakland Residents Slam Crime, Lawlessness)

Residents of Oakland moved to recall Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price in Oct. 2023 due to the city’s violent crime. Price came under fire for Oakland’s increase in armed robberies and burglaries, which prompted many businesses to leave the city.

California saw a 5.7% increase in violent crime in 2022, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. There has been a mass exodus of businesses from California, which picked up steam as business owners became frustrated with the state’s arguably lenient policies on crime. Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom dismissed concerns regarding his state’s rising crime in Nov. 2023 during a Fox News debate against Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.