SEATTLE — New video of an attempted break-in at a longtime Belltown restaurant has the owner concerned and disheartened.
"It just gives you uncertainty about being a small business owner,” said Belltown Pizza owner Brian Lee. “Which is disheartening."
The break-in will cost the business thousands of dollars in repairs, the owner said.
The footage shows a man, kicking and shoving a door while trying to break into a Belltown restaurant around 3 a.m. on May 31.
"Shattering the door here, we're going to have to replace this door we're just waiting to see what this is going to cost. And shattered the fixtures inside," said Lee.
Belltown Pizza is located in the heart of the neighborhood it's named after. He said he believes the suspect was a customer from just hours before the attempted break-in.
"Frustrating to levels that most people don't understand. It's mentally taxing, financially taxing," said Lee.
And it shows. Lee has owned the pizza joint for the past five years. He estimates about $80,000 in losses from crimes targeting his business.
"Four definite break-ins, a lot of vandalism where people just throw things through the windows or doors for no apparent reason,” said Lee. “That's not even highlighting all the tagging and graffiti people have done on the walls."
Lee has invested $15,000 in security measures. As far as burglaries go in the Belltown neighborhood, the Seattle Police Department's Crime Dashboard shows there were more burglaries in 2022 (252 crimes) than 2023 (195 crimes). As of April, the number of reported burglaries is similar to last year during this same time at 61 reported burglaries.
The Seattle Police Department is investigating the Belltown Pizza break-in.
Despite the uncertainties with owning a business, Lee said he's committed to serving the community he loves.
“Don't give up on Belltown,” said Lee. “Keep coming down, keep supporting us, all small business owners need you."