Thieves steal equipment, supplies from new restaurant

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Julia Webster and her business partner were on their way to making their dreams a reality after 2 years of work when their soon-to-be restaurant was broken into Sunday night.

Etc Eatery in Southwest Portland, formerly known as Porchelli’s Grocery, is due to open this summer. The owners said thieves stole a variety of things including boxes of cups, pans, an espresso machine and meat slicer.

The loss comes to $5,000-$10,000, a lot of money for a small business.

“We felt secure, I mean we didn’t have cameras but we had a lock box,” Webster said. “We limited the amount of people that were coming in here and they cut the lock box right off, they walked right up the street, busted it open and grabbed the key.”

Luckily the owners have insurance, but they don’t know when or how much they will be reimbursed.

Webster and her business partner hope to open on schedule despite the burglary.