‘I'm deflated': Restaurant owner thinking of leaving Oakland after 2 break-ins in 1 night

A well known, and much loved, East Bay chef is dealing with a big blow after his Oakland restaurant was burglarized twice in one night.

The Oakland restaurateur just celebrated his business’s 10th anniversary on Friday.  

But now, for the first time, he’s thinking about moving his business elsewhere. 

“I’m just angry, I’m deflated, I’m tired. It’s just so heartbreaking to see that,” Nelson German, the owner of alaMar Dominican Kitchen, said.

He said two men broke into his Grand Avenue restaurant at 4 a.m. Surveillance video shows the men raising the restaurant’s bar, filling up a trash can with bottles of pricey liquor and dragging it away. 

“It burns you inside when you see things like that. To wake up to see your place being violated and taken advantage of is truly devastating,” German said.

Then, two hours later, the thieves returned -- helping themselves to a second round.

The double whammy prompted German to share his feelings on Instagram. He said he’s never felt so down and has always loved Oakland. 

“But when things like this happen, and the way things are going, there’s always a thought of, 'should we go somewhere else?'" German said. “Should we go to another city to do better where it’s safer?”

Now, the community is coming together to show their support. Customers and fellow restaurant owners were flooding in Friday. 

“They provide a safe place for people to come and have a good time and enjoy good food,” customer Tyseon Redmond said. “And I don’t want to see them, and other businesses like them, kind of disappear.”

“This is a passion for us. This is who we are so we’re continuing to fight,” Paul Iglesias said.

He owns Parche Restaurant down the street and said his place was burglarized by what he believes are the same two thieves on Friday. 

“It’s just disheartening that things like this are continuing to happen in such a vibrant community,” Iglesias said. 

German is now pouring his energy into the craft he loves, hoping to heal. 

“I am just going to cook and make people happy that way, and tell my story that way, to really lift myself up,” German said. 

He’s grateful for the community’s love and hopes to keep the West Coast’s only Dominican restaurant rooted in Oakland.