Quick Take
An intruder vandalized Betty Burgers in Seabright early Tuesday, causing an estimated $50,000 in damages and lost income by ransacking the restaurant and discharging a fire extinguisher, forcing a temporary closure for cleaning and repairs.
An intruder broke into Betty Burgers in Seabright early Tuesday morning and caused more than $50,000 in damages and lost income by emptying a fire extinguisher inside the restaurant.
The break in occurred around 5 a.m., and no one was in the building at the time. The restaurant was closed on Tuesday to be cleaned and repaired, and plans to reopen on Wednesday.
The intruder took only a laptop, $600 from the cash register and a Betty Burgers-branded sweatshirt, but they caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage while they were inside the building. Food was thrown on the ground and condiments were sprayed on the walls and ceiling. The grill was taken apart, and the intruder emptied a fire extinguisher in the dining room, coating the tables and floors in toxic residue. They also ripped apart a $9,000 security system, but not before it caught video footage of the individual.
Cleaning crews worked throughout the day on Tuesday to clear away a thick layer of cloudy foam from the fire extinguisher that coated the tables and floors in the dining room and cash register area of the neighborhood burger spot. Anything that came in contact with it had to be thrown away, explained general manager Ivan Diaz, including all dry goods like cups and towels. The soda machine also needs to be replaced, since chemicals can get inside the beverage dispenser.
Diaz and Negro estimate the damage to be about $50,000, including $12,000 in cleaning fees, replacing the security system, lost wages for employees, lost revenue and damage to equipment in the kitchen.
“They ransacked the place, completely and utterly,” said owner Laurie Negro. “We have to make sure every single thing is sanitized and perfect, and whatever we are unsure about, we’re just getting rid of it.”
The incident was reported to the Santa Cruz Police Department, but it couldn’t be reached for comment by publication time.
A cleaning crew discovered the damage on Tuesday morning, and contacted Diaz. He was able to reach Negro at home. She was sleeping in, she said, after spending the previous day cleaning out the downtown location, Betty’s Eat Inn, which closed on Sunday after 15 years on Pacific Avenue.
The Aptos location of the local burger chain is also closed, said Negro, because of power outages in the area. “From having four functioning locations in the middle of summer, at this moment our only location that is taking orders and serving customers is 41st Avenue,” said Negro.
The break-in is the latest issue for the Seabright location. Last week, Negro joined eight other area business owners at a city council meeting to express how damaging the loss of customers from the closure of the Murray Street Bridge has been to their businesses. At Betty Burgers, located at the intersection of Seabright Avenue and Murray Street, Negro has cut 100 employee hours a month at the height of summer in an attempt to balance out the loss of income.
“We don’t want to cut hours, but we rely on our revenue in the summer to sustain us during the winter,” she explained.
Fortunately, Negro was able to move equipment from the closed downtown location to the Seabright location to replace the damaged grill and oven.
Diaz and Negro are hoping to reopen this location on Wednesday. Said Diaz: “We want to make sure that even though we wanted to reopen today, it’s more important to be safe and make sure everything is done the right way.”
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