CHICAGO () — Shattered glass and costly damage greeted business owners on Chicago’s South Side after two early morning burglaries along 75th Street.
One of the businesses hit was Brown Sugar Bakery, a beloved neighborhood staple in the 300 block of East 75th Street. The bakery has been serving customers for nearly 25 years, has been featured by ABC7, and drew national attention when then-Vice President Kamala Harris stopped by in 2021.
“It’s basically a very sad and violated feeling,” owner Stephanie Hart said.
Surveillance footage from a camera across the street shows four people pulling up in a white sedan just before 4 a.m. After smashing the bakery’s front window, the group can be seen leaving with a cash register that Hart said was empty.
“Businesses don’t leave money in the cash registers, so you just cost us money tearing up our registers,” Hart said. “Thank goodness they didn’t get away with sweet treats because then I had to throw my entire stock out.”
After targeting Brown Sugar Bakery, the burglars moved next door to Stylez Caribbean Roots Bar, where they broke another window. The shop specializes in herbs and wellness products.
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The owner said the intruders got inside but appeared to leave empty-handed. Still, the break-in left behind significant damage, including to expensive equipment inside the store.
“They’re really hurting people, and they’re hurting families. They’re hurting business owners, and they’re not getting really… they’re not really accomplishing nothing,” said William Roland, owner of Stylez Caribbean Roots Bar.
Surveillance video shows the suspects driving away. Seconds later, police arrived at the scene.
For Hart and other longtime small business owners, such burglaries impact the entire neighborhood.
“The money that comes in my bakery comes from my community, and it churns out into the community,” Hart said. “The people that work here, they’re your cousins, y’all.”
Business owners and community members along 75th Street are planning to meet to discuss strategies in response to the break-ins.
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