“Recently we’ve had people that are unhoused coming in and stealing whatever is available,” said Susan Madueno, Co-owner of Phatties Bake Shop.“What started happening about three days ago is that a gentleman with a weapon has been coming in and he has a crowbar, which really alarmed one of our girls,” Madueno said."As soon as I noticed that one of our employees was incredibly scared, I said you know what, I can’t let this go, I have to file a police report.
The shop which remains open for business now asks customers to ring a doorbell for entry, and employees will come to them. They've has also implemented an employee buddy system and additional security tools like a horn.Along with the safety of her employees and customers, Madueno said she is concerned about her business.
"I don’t like the idea of having to close our doors during peak hours. Once again, we are trying not to, but if our employees are not feeling comfortable and safe, they have every right to, and we’ve allowed them to do that," Madueno said. She remains optimistic that locking down the store will be only temporary and that her business can return to normal operating procedures.
“I’m hoping that down the road that this will go away but if it doesn’t, we will continue to keep our head up and we will do our best to make sure that our employees and customers feel safe,” Madueno said.