PHILADELPHIA – A Rittenhouse Square business owner is speaking up after dealing with several break-ins and damage to his restaurant.
What we know:
The owner of Farina Pasta Bar says since opening five years ago, they have had their windows smashed at least once a year.
This week was the third time the business was broken into.
In the heart of Rittenhouse Square on South 17th Street sits a hidden and unique food gem called Farina Pasta Bar.
“In the city of Philadelphia there’s no fast casual pasta, you got hamburgers, Chipotle with the burritos, but there was no pasta. I wanted to make a fast-casual pasta, with fresh made pasta, fresh ingredients, we make all of our sauces,” said Daniel Lee, the CEO & Founder of Farina Pasta Bar.
For the last five years, the concept has been thriving, except for one major problem.
“I would say once per year we have somebody smashing the glass. We’ve had three breakins so far, this last time was probably the worst,” said Lee.
Dig deeper:
Police say at around 9:45 p.m. on Tuesday a suspect was seen sitting on the steps of the pasta bar.
That person leaves but then later returns with a metal object and begins breaking the business’ lock box.
Authorities say the suspect got the keys, entered the store, began stealing cash from the register and then leaves again.
The suspect then comes back with another person and begins stealing more items.
“They usually come in, smash the glass, take the register out, destroy a bunch of stuff and leaves us about $1,500 to $2,000 in damage,” said Lee.
A frustrating reality for the owner and the reason he took to social media to voice his concerns.
“You pay a lot to be here in Center City, with the rent that’s understandable, you pay a lot in taxes, you kind of expect a certain level of security being in the heart of the city,” said Lee.
While the remnants of the crimes still remain, the business is back up and running with some restrictions, including no cash sales because the register was stolen.
Despite it all, Lee says the support has been strong both on social media and in-person, and is the reason this veteran says he’ll continue to keep the pasta boiling.
“The support that the community showed it’s amazing so, they want us here, they showed us that they want us here, so we are going to stay here,” said Lee.
The owner says he’s trying to keep a positive attitude and just hopes people will continue to show support.
What you can do:
If you know anything that will help with this investigation, please contact Philadelphia police.