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Seattle donut shop targeted by thieves
A Seattle donut shop owner is calling for city leaders to address ongoing property crime after thieves repeatedly broke into his West Seattle, Capitol Hill, and Ballard locations.
SEATTLE - A Seattle donut shop owner says thieves have targeted his businesses for cash, leaving him to pay for the damages out of pocket.
Sean Willis, owner of Dough Joy, reported that multiple locations have been targeted in recent years. He runs shops in West Seattle, Capitol Hill, and Ballard. Thieves have repeatedly forced entry into the businesses by drilling out the door locks.
The most recent incident was just a couple of weeks ago.
Surveillance cameras capture a thief that broke into Dough Joy.
Financial Impact on Small Business
What they're saying:
Willis has chosen not to file insurance claims for the break-ins, citing fears that his coverage could be canceled, or his premium rates would increase. Across his shops, Willis estimated he could have filed about nine separate claims by now.
"If we did it every time between our couple shops it would be like nine claims, and I know that would be an issue," Willis said.
Instead, the business owner is absorbing the repair costs himself. He says even a couple hundred dollars in damages is a significant financial loss on slow business days, and the overall expenses are adding up.
Dough Joy's storefront in Ballard. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Looking for Solutions
Local perspective:
The most recent break-in happened on May 20. As we talked with Willis on Wednesday, the shop was busy as he and his team prepared for National Donut Day on Friday. He said he wants to keep his focus on creating new flavors and drawing in customers without being forced to raise prices.
"We don't want to raise our prices, we don't want to impact our customers negatively," Willis said.
Willis expressed hope that Seattle city leaders will address the challenges facing local commercial districts, noting that other small business owners in the area are experiencing similar security issues.
"It is difficult as a small business. And all the small business owners I know are going through a very similar thing, and I think that speaks to a larger issue and hopefully a solution," Willis said.
Surveillance cameras capture a thief that broke into Dough Joy.
Following the most recent incident, Willis said he is looking into small business repair funds offered by the city of Seattle so he can focus his energy on his business.
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The Source: Information in this story came from original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.