A new coffee shop set to open in Mission Bay has been hit by burglars twice before serving a single customer. The soon-to-open Silicon Valley Coffee, located at the corner of Fourth and Townsend streets, has suffered two break-ins within 24 hours. According to The San Francisco Standard, the incidents occurred late Sunday and early Monday, when the establishment was renovating to prepare for its grand opening.
San Francisco Police Department officers responded to the scene on Sunday after reports of trespassing. They discovered two individuals using heroin within an unoccupied condo at the rear of the property. The property, previously home to The Creamery cafe, now awaits a fresh start through Silicon Valley Coffee's vision. Matt Baker, co-founder of the coffee venture, expressed his dismay when the police released the trespassers shortly after their arrest.
The second break-in, reported the following day, resulted in roughly $4,000 worth of equipment theft, mainly security gear and cameras yet to be installed. The cafe's predicament garnered considerable community support after Baker shared his experience in a Reddit post, revealing to The San Francisco Standard, "The commentary, the feedback, the encouragement has left me in a much more positive state than I could have imagined right now."
In response to these events, the property developer has hastened to establish a 24-hour security presence, including an on-site guard dog. The café also replaced the stolen equipment with a comprehensive surveillance system. Despite the setbacks, Baker remains hopeful for the cafe's future and looks to contribute positively to the neighborhood's regeneration. "I think everybody is waiting for change,” he said, per The San Francisco Standard.
Further details surfaced in a social media post by the café, which described the incidents as "rough" and "targeted." The post, found on Silicon Valley Coffee's Facebook page, states: "On Sunday, our back gate was smashed down. Police found two people inside the back condo space using heroin. We agreed to press charges, but to our shock, they were released shortly after. The next morning, we discovered we’d been robbed." The post expresses gratitude towards the community's outpouring of support and commitment to improving the entire block, including the old HD Buttercup warehouse and the adjacent vacant parking lot.
