KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Four Kansas City-area businesses spent their weekend cleaning shards of glass and boarding up windows and doors following a string of break-ins.
"It's not just isolated to us," said Christopher Ciesiel, co-owner of Sagebrush Cocktail Bar and The Campground.
Businesses affected by weekend break-ins:
- Sagebrush Cocktail Bar
- Seven Swans Creperie
- La Bodega
- Garden House Cafe
A trend that's become common in the Kansas City area had Ciesiel notice movement on his security cameras outside his KCK Rosedale neighborhood cocktail bar.
He told KSHB 41 a group of individuals were seen brandishing a firearm and shattering the glass door in his business. The group stole an empty cash register.
Following the hit at his business, he called the neighboring business owner, Jordan Fox. A similar event took place at Garden House Cafe.
"Our cash register was taken, all of our cash. That was it, thankfully," Fox said. "It's disheartening."
Fox has called the Rosedale neighborhood home for eight years and has worked at his corner location for four. Operating as Garden House Cafe for the past two years, he values the patronage of his neighbors and the sense of life his business can bring to the community.
"It’s a very intimate space for ourselves, community and neighbors," he said. "Our neighbors walk up almost every morning for a cup. We know them by name. It's the kind of story of corner shops across the nation."
Fox told KSHB 41 three individuals brandishing a firearm, who were seen on his security footage, broke into his corner cafe, shattering the front door and stealing a register with cash.
"No one was hurt in the process. Everything else was intact. We have vendors in our space that we really care about; all of their products were intact, so that was really great," Fox added.
Kansas City experienced a spat of business break-ins over the summer and fall, but since late October, instances seemed to taper off.
However, this round had Ciesiel and his neighbor questioning the system as break-ins become the norm.
"If they (police) happen to catch someone like this, they’ll just be back on the street in a day or two," Ciesiel stated. "It’s not 'if' anymore, it’s 'When is it going to happen?' or 'When is it going to happen again?'"
In late August 2024, a string of car thefts also rang throughout Kansas City.
A suspected car theft led to the murder of beloved chef Shaun Brady when he confronted a group of suspects attempting to steal a vehicle. Brady was gunned down after he took out the trash and was left for dead in the parking lot.
The Brady & Fox restaurant, the location of his death, will not reopen as family stated the restaurant was too connected to Brady's culinary impact on Kansas City.
"It hurts and it kind of makes it hard to keep going and stay positive," Ciesiel added. "If things keep going how they are, I don't see a lot of these impacted businesses staying open... I just hope it doesn’t keep going to the point where small business owners must start defending themselves and their properties. That would be a scary time."
On Sunday, Garden House Cafe opened its doors to an influx of customers showing their support. Many wrote messages of support on plywood boards gracing damage on the windows.
"It's been a lot to process," Fox explained. "I know many of these people by name, and it means the world. It means we do have support."
Support for the corner coffee shop owner keeps him going.
But looking ahead, Fox offered a message for governmental leaders to ensure the prosperity of small businesses moving forward.
"This is our livelihood, so our head is down and we'll keep going," Fox said. "I am asking that something happen in our government to care for our small businesses. It has to happen."
KSHB 41 reached out to KCPD and KCKPD to ask if the recent string of break-ins were connected. KCKPD had not responded to KSHB 41's inquiry at the time this article was published.
KSHB 41 also asked KCPD if this batch of break-ins has any connection to those in 2024.
A KCPD spokesperson said if the crimes have any connection, it will be investigated. Any connection to neighboring jurisdictions or ongoing patterns would be what detectives would look into.
"There hasn’t been much of a response that I can see," Fox said. "The response is, we’re just out here on our own."
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KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. Share your story idea with Ryan.
