Oakland's Only In-N-Out Closing Due To Crime Concerns: Reports

OAKLAND, CA — Oakland’s only In-N-Out Burger announced this week that it will close due to crime and safety concerns. It will be the first out of the chain’s roughly 400 locations nationwide to permanently close.

“We have made the decision to close our In-N-Out Burger location in Oakland, California, due to ongoing issues with crime,” In-N-Out Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick wrote in a statement. “Despite taking repeated steps to create safer conditions, our Customers and Associates are regularly victimized by car break-ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies. Our last day of business in Oakland will be Sunday, March 24, 2024.”

Warnick said that although the location right near Oakland International Airport remains “busy and profitable,” “we cannot ask [customers and associates] to visit or work in an unsafe environment.”

The chain is one of many in the area to close due to safety concerns. In the past year, a nearby Starbucks and Vietnamese restaurant closed, and Raising Cane’s closed its dining room, according to a CBS report. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that since 2019, police have logged 1,335 near the In-N-Out, including 1,174 car break-ins, nine robberies, and two commercial burglaries. The In-N-Out reportedly had signs warning customers of car break-ins.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao weighed in on the closure. In a statement sent to various news outlets, Thao said additional patrol officers and surveillance technology were assigned to the area around the airport, and property crime has decreased at the end of 2023. Car break-ins decreased 43% and thefts declined 49% in the last months of the last months of 2023, according to statistics that Thao’s office provided to KTVU.

Still, Thao said that “more is necessary and I will be working with regional and state leaders to protect this tourist gateway into Oakland…Oakland will remain vigilant to ensure this downward trend continues and that more resources are brought to the table.”

The Southern California chain is still active in the Bay Area, with locations in Alameda, Fremont, San Leandro, Union City, San Ramon, and others.