Several Taco Bell restaurants in Oakland, California, have closed their dining rooms and are only offering drive-thru service as a surge in crime grips the city.
The Diversified Restaurant Group, which owns nearly 300 Taco Bell locations across California, Nevada, Kansas and Missouri, has closed the dining rooms at all four of its locations in Oakland due to safety concerns, KPIX reported.
One of the restaurants, located at 3535 35th Ave., has been robbed four times since November, twice when the restaurant was open for business, the outlet noted. Three weeks ago, robbers reportedly made off with a safe.
Kimberly Garibay, who works across the street, said the restaurant’s cash registers are not the only target.
“They just pull up out of nowhere and it’s not like they only rob the store. They rob everybody in there as well,” she said. “So it’s not as safe as it used to be. There’s a lot of crime now.”
“It’s just — what is Oakland coming to? Everything is getting worse. Things are closing down. You know, it’s just terrible,” another resident, Aliyah Musa, told KPIX.
Customers can still eat indoors at a Taco Bell operated by another franchise owner in the city, however, it has gone cashless in an attempt to discourage robberies, the outlet reported.
Taco Bell acknowledged changes were being made at the stores in Oakland.
“Providing a safe environment for team members and customers is the priority at Taco Bell restaurants,” the company said in a statement.
“The franchise owner and operator has informed us that they are consistently evaluating and working to ensure a safe environment by implementing procedures, such as closing dining rooms, and hiring security guards, and they have taken extra measures to meet with local law enforcement.”
The Diversified Restaurant Group did not comment on the closures.
Robberies in Oakland spiked 38% in 2023 and burglaries increased by 23%, according to city data obtained by CNN.
Meanwhile, Taco Bell is only the latest fast-food chain to shut indoor dining in crime-ridden Oakland.
Last year, Raising Cane’s near the airport closed its dining room due to crime in the area, KRON 4 reported, adding that customers can still order via drive-thru.
In January, In-N-Out announced it would close the burger chain’s only location in the city on March 24 due to the rise in crime – marking the first time it has been forced to shutter one of its eateries.
Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick cited a series of robberies of both customers and employees, along with theft and vandalism, for the decision, Newsweek reported.
Denny’s also closed its restaurant on Hegenberger Road in January after 54 years, citing “the safety and well-being” of its staff and customers amid the rising crime, KPIX reported.
In addition, a Starbucks outlet in the airport area closed late last year due to repeated car burglaries.
Taco Bell said there are no plans to close down any of the restaurants completely – for now, according to KPIX.
Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom deployed 120 Highway Patrol officers to the city and the surrounding area to try and crack down on crime.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said the city would do more to protect the Hegenberger corridor area.
