An Oakland food truck owner is working to get back on the road after a break-in stopped her business in its tracks less than a year after opening.
The food truck "Coffee and Toast" aims to help customers start their day on the right foot, but instead has been parked since last month after it was broken into and stripped of nearly everything inside.
"I fell down and cried because I think what people don't realize is when you rob or burglarize a coffee truck or food truck, you are not taking from a big corporation. You are taking from a mother, from a father, you're taking from a community member," Coffee and Toast owner Tiffany Stewart said.
Stewart said the truck was targeted overnight while it was parked in a church parking lot. The thieves not only stole the generator and security cameras, but also destroyed the plumbing and electrical systems.
The owner adds damages will cost her at least $5,000 and those costs grow everyday she is not in business.
Now customers and strangers are rallying behind Stewart to get her to get the truck back on the road.
"She is a Black woman, a mother, and it brought a lot of us together," customer Kendra Edwards said. "I would meet people at the cart. It does mean a lot to us."
Edwards is part of nearly 100 supporters who have raised more than $4,000 through a GoFundMe to help with repairs. Edwards said the efforts go beyond a good cup of coffee.
"To see someone lead their own business, start it up, physically build it from scratch, it is important to see that kind of representation," Edwards said.
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The representation and determination are both things Stewart hopes she can continue to serve up once her business is back on the road.
"I hope this sparks something in all of us to make sure the things we want in our community that we fight for and that means safety and that means accountability," Stewart said.