Church’s Chicken restaurant in Des Moines has been hit with a series of break-ins, with five occurring within the last six months. The crimes started in December of last year, with the latest being a robbery that destroyed the front door overnight. Local franchise owner Chris Huk has expressed his disappointment and heartbreak over the incidents, saying that things were going well until recently. The restaurant is a popular destination for students from nearby Highline University. However, the situation seems to be getting worse with each passing day.
Mohammed Sadiq, district manager of Church’s Chicken, has confirmed that the situation has been deteriorating over the past six months. Recently, surveillance video captured two people breaking into the restaurant by shattering the front door and using a crowbar to pry something open. This was the second robbery in just 10 days. In the May 9 incident, the video shows a suspect holding a long gun, followed by two men rummaging through a cash register that had very little money. These incidents have caused a lot of damage to the restaurant, with the previous break-in in March and the robbery on February 22nd resulting in the safe being dragged out of the store.
Hak has mentioned that most people use credit cards when they visit the restaurant, so the amount of cash stored on the premises is limited, and the damages caused by cards are far more expensive. Additionally, the building had to be renovated following an arson attack in June 2022, which is still affecting the restaurant’s operations. Despite all the problems, the Des Moines Police Department stated that the number of robberies has decreased slightly compared to last year, with 12 incidents from January to May 19, 2021.
The Des Moines City Council has recently approved grants for downtown businesses that were affected by vandalism, allowing them to pay for repairs to their stores. However, the Church’s Chicken franchise owner is looking for more help, saying that the community, city leaders, and police need to work together to address the situation. Huk has warned that if the situation continues, he may not be able to continue operating in the area. The city council is currently debating whether to collect data from businesses that use remediation subsidies and extend it to other businesses affected by crime across Des Moines.