Manhattan restaurants are reeling as they are repeatedly hit by smash-and-grab burglaries and owners are claiming it’s because there are not enough police officers to protect them as many of them are packing up and leaving for safer climes.

In a New York Post piece titled, “Manhattan restaurants hit by repeat smash-and-grab burglaries as owners blame lack of cops,” Jeanette Settembre lays out the stark reality for business owners in New York City these days.

“A thief smashed the glass door of Lower East Side Argentinian restaurant Balvanera around 4 a.m. Sunday morning fleeing with $400 from the cash drawer. It’s the restaurant’s third break-in since last year, ringing up a tab of thousands of dollars in damages,” the author wrote.

Restaurant owners have had it with rampant crime in the Big Apple that is running them out of business while putting their lives and livelihoods in danger.

Manhattan restaurants hit by repeat smash-and-grab burglaries. Owners blame lack of cops. NYC crime +40%. Culture of death and destruction continues from cashless bail, no jail – Chuck Schumer, Gerry Nadler, AOC, Kathy Hochul, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Carl Heastie, Eric Adams,…

— Torrenzano (@RichTorrenzano) June 30, 2023

“Every time, they break the glass and walk right to the cash register,” Fernando Navas, who is the chef and owner of Balvanera on Stanton St., told the New York Post. “I called 911. I told them, ‘I’m letting you know this is the third time [the restaurant was attacked].”

The media outlet goes on to report, “He is not alone: Restaurant owners across Manhattan are being hit by an uptick in restaurant smash-and-grab burglaries, they tell The Post. And some restaurateurs said they’ve suffered repeat attacks and have lost thousands in cash and computer equipment. Owners say a lack of police on patrol in the early hours and repeat offenders who face no repercussions are to blame.”

It boils down to the police force being cut and now stretched razor-thin thanks to liberal mandates. It’s also due to lax bail policies and letting repeat criminals right back on the streets time after time. Business owners can also thank out-of-control drug use that is seemingly everywhere now.

On the Lower East Side, where Balvanera is located, smash-and-grabs have jumped 63.6% this year in the 28-day period ending June 25 compared to 2022, according to the NYPD.

“The break-ins are getting out of control. It was not like this pre-COVID,” Nick Moshkovich, who is the director of operations at nearby Bonberi Mart on West 11th Street, stated.

Manhattan restaurants hit by repeat smash-and-grab burglaries as owners blame lack of cops, Rogue DA’s, Gov. Hochul’s Bail Reform Laws. Owners think about closing doors for good and relocating. https://t.co/zxMfrxRRIr pic.twitter.com/kvR6IZe8x3

— Blue Lives Matter (@RetiredNYCPD) June 29, 2023

That business was subjected to an attempted attack on May 14 at about 5 am. His neighbor, 11th Street Cafe, has also been hit with a number of smash-and-grab attacks, according to the New York Post.

“We’re on a quiet street — they’re [thieves] targeting us because there’s less foot traffic. Police drive by, but there’s no boots on the ground,” Moshkovich complained.

Balvanera was hit in November 2022 and again in January. The front door was smashed in and the cash register was cleaned out both times. During those incidents, Navas had to close down and wait hours for the NYPD to show up.

He told the New York Post that he can’t afford to do that anymore. Sunday, when he was hit yet again, he continued on with his business.

“I’m not going to go through the full report and wait four or five hours for the detective to come because I’m going to lose more money. If I don’t open for brunch, that’s another $4,000 or $5,000 that I lose,” he asserted, noting that things have gotten much worse since the pandemic hit.

“People in the area said thieves hide in outdoor dining sheds and strike after cops drive by.”

Another reason why the abominable curbside street shanties need to be torn down already.

— BigApplePhoenix (@BigApplePhoenix) June 30, 2023

“There are less police on the streets. If you walk around the Lower East Side you see people who look like zombies — people on heroin, on fentanyl. It’s too hard to have a business in NYC,” Navas commented.

Navas and his family have now moved out of New York City and live in Pittsburgh, where he has family. He is opening another Balvanera in the coming months there.

“It makes you think about closing the restaurant. What am I doing?” Navas asked. “Small businesses suffer in New York.”

Settembre reported, “Across town, 11th Street Cafe and Osteria 57 in the West Village have all had overnight smash-and-grabs. Hours after closing last Saturday night, 11th Street Cafe owner Philippe Bonsignour told The Post the restaurant suffered a second break-in, with a thief smashing its glass storefront. He declined to say if any cash was stolen.”

You cannot complain in NYC anymore about anything, esp rent or crime.

You are now considered a ‘plantation owner’ if you do.
Amirite @NYCMayor ?

Manhattan restaurants hit by repeat smash-and-grab burglaries as owners blame lack of cops https://t.co/Yt4W4xiUfs

— libNot (@libNot) June 30, 2023

“Emanuele Nigro, the co-owner of West Village Italian restaurant Osteria 57 on West 10th Street, said it suffered $8,000 in losses and damages when a smash-and-grab thief took around $4,000 in the cash drawer and made out with laptops, iPads and small appliances,” she wrote.

“They were able to get in and take our money, computers – luckily, there was no major damage to the restaurant. They left the place intact, they just went for the money,” Nigro recounted.

He also owns Alice on West 13th Street. That location had an attempted break-in about four months ago when a burglar unsuccessfully tried to force the door open. His restaurants have security cameras and he is considering investing over $1,000 in a stronger lock on a new gate for his Osteria 57 restaurant.

“It’s definitely a lot of aggravation for restaurateurs. What hurts us the most is the sense of alarm that gets put on the customers. There’s definitely this general atmosphere of alarm, and it’s not good for business,” Nigro pointed out.

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