Multiple Taco Bell locations in Oakland have closed dining rooms because of crime concerns

By Jordan Valinsky | CNN

New York  — Multiple Taco Bell locations in Oakland have closed their dining rooms because of safety concerns in the California city, which has been struggling with rising crime affecting businesses both big and small.

Taco Bell said in a statement that “providing a safe environment for team members and customers is the priority” and that the decision was made by the restaurants’ franchisee owner, Diversified Restaurant Group.

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“The franchise owner and operator has informed us that they are consistently evaluating and working to ensure a safe environment by implementing procedures, such as closing dining rooms, and hiring security guards, and they have taken extra measures to meet with local law enforcement,” Taco Bell said in a statement.

Diversified Restaurant Group owns about 300 Taco Bell and Arby’s locations, predominately in the western US. The company didn’t return CNN’s request for comment.

At least four Taco Bell locations in Oakland have closed their dining rooms, however the drive-thru remains operational. According to Taco Bell’s website, it has about a half of dozen locations in the Oakland area.

CNN affiliate KPIX-TV visited a Taco Bell location that has been robbed four times in the past four months, finding signs notifying customers of the closure. The restaurant still has plywood on the windows from its most recent robbery three weeks ago, when robbers rammed a pickup truck through the window to steal a safe.

One Oakland location still has their dining room open but has gone cashless to discourage robberies, KPIX-TV reported.

In addition to robberies, frequent auto theft and property damage have been problems for stores operating in the area.

Problems pervade