SEATTLE — A longtime Seattle restaurant is voicing its concerns after the ninth break-in in four years. This time, the break-in caused thousands of dollars' worth of damage and losses.
"If these keep occurring, small businesses take a huge hit," said Dawn Ung.
It's a hit to a family-owned business dedicated to serving its community. "As Asian Americans we want to be able to run a business in the C.I.D., we don't want to look outside different neighborhoods to feel like we'll do better," said Ung.
Ung's family has owned Phnom Penh Noodle House since 1987. It relocated to its current location off South Jackson Street four years ago. "Things have definitely gotten worse since 2020," said Ung.
That's when the spree of break ins started. Security cameras caught the ninth incident around 3:40 a.m. Oct. 17. Surveillance video shows two people busting through the front door, then rummaging through the business.
Ung said the thieves stole a couple tablets, the register that had no cash in it at the time, an iPhone and a printer. She estimates they've lost $25,000 in total over the years.
"It makes me super upset, frustrated because this is like our home,” said Ung. “And to feel violated is quite upsetting."
It's upsetting for many in this neighborhood.
"Not only do the businesses feel helpless, but organizations like ours also feel helpless," said Quynh Pham, the executive director of Friends of Little Saigon, a nonprofit focused on supporting businesses in this neighborhood, that Pham believes needs more support.
"It's costing our businesses so much money,” said Pham. “So much time, and now just so much heartache and anxiety on top of everything else."
For now, Ung pleads with the city to keep these businesses alive.
"I hope that Seattle can continue to address these issues in our neighborhood so that the C.I.D, the Little Saigon, Japantown and such will still exist," said Ung.