Pizza shop owner thought going cashless would deter burglars; but it didn't work
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Only on 2: they thought not taking cash would protect them from burglars, but they got hit anyway. A popular Edgewater pizzeria was damaged and burglarized this week, as Chicago police warn about a rise in such crimes.
George's Deep Dish makes it clear there is no cash on site, posting signs attesting to that fact, but they still got hit, and it cost the small business in Edgewater a pretty penny in damages.
"It's the last call you wanna get in the middle of the night," owner George Bumbaris said.
Surveillance cameras caught the whole thing as a burglar broke through the front door, searched the restaurant trying to find cash, despite the "cashless" sign on the door, before making it into the office, and through the kitchen, before stealing a framed display of two $20 bills and two $50 bills, and fleeing the scene.
"It had sentimental value," Bumbaris said.
A hit to the heart. Framed bills signed by family and friends, including the first $20 the pizza joint ever made.
"It was only sentimental to me. I was never going to spend that money," Bumbaris said.
Born and raised in Edgewater, Bumbaris opened the restaurant during the pandemic.
So while he is used to rolling with the punches, like any small business owner, this one was unexpected.
"I was more distraught than anything," he said.
Known for a special sourdough crust that takes time, he can only make and sell so many pizzas a day.
"It takes about four days from start to finish to finally get pizza product out," he said.
So they are typically ordered in advance online, sometimes days in advance.
"Similar to how you reserve a table at a restaurant, you reserve your pizza," Bumbaris said.
Because of that model, and recent crime in the area, they chose to go cash-only a few months ago. They posted a sign on the front window before it was broken into, but that didn't stop the burglar from breaking in.
"I wish they had read the sign before coming in," Bumbaris said.
Just replacing the shattered the door cost a weekend's worth of business.
Bumbaris is not alone.
Just a couple days ago, in Lincoln Park, thieves stole thousands of dollars in merchandise in a smash-and-grab at a local consignment store.
Police recently issued a community alert about a string of business burglaries on the city's North Side.
Now Bumbaris issuing a warning, too.
"You can't fall asleep on it," he said. "It's really sad. It's sad."
Chicago police are investigating the burglary at George's Deep Dish, and all of the others reported since Christmas. No arrests have been made.