For the second time since March, Ma and Pa’s Family Diner in Yelm was burglarized at around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, May 23.
The restaurant, located at 203 W. Yelm Ave., is owned by Jenny Smith and Bahman Robinson, who have been married for 18 years.
After being burglarized twice in the last two months, the couple has felt demoralized as they work to pick up the pieces.
“Both break-ins were around the same time frame, and both people that broke in wore COVID masks, so you couldn’t see anything. They wear hoods, hats, so it’s really hard to see anything. We do have cameras everywhere in our facility,” Robinson told the Nisqually Valley News on June 2. “They came up and shattered the glass door and then they ran right through the glass. They knew exactly where our till was at and took the money.”
Aside from a broken glass door, the most recent break-in resulted in $150 being stolen from the cash register. Surveillance footage showed the suspect was in and out of the restaurant in about 90 seconds.
The couple added they aren’t the only restaurant in the area that’s been burglarized recently, as Mariachi Alegre, Red Lantern Asian Fusion and others have been hit.
Smith said she was questioned as to why they left the cash till up front after hours and said she was more concerned about damages within the restaurant than losing out on what was left in the register.
“My theory is that if they have to search our store for the cash till, they’ll break everything while searching for it,” Smith said. “We recently started doing mimosas and I’ve invested hundreds of dollars into flavoring. If this guy broke in and was mad that he couldn’t find our till, what if he trashed the place? I would’ve been out of even more money. We’re just trying to figure out the best thing to do.”
The couple said that while they’ve lost money due to the string of burglaries, their morale is what’s been the most damaged.
“We show up everyday trying to do the best we can do,” Robinson said. “We’re trying to make it past COVID, past the inflation. Now, we have to worry about people breaking into our business constantly and damaging the place we make our money at to support our family.”
Robinson said they have been financially impacted by the burglaries. Robinson also said he would have given the suspect food, if that is what they were after.
Another issue Robinson and Smith face is the aspect of security. While the Ma and Pa’s location is under constant surveillance, Robinson said “high-tech” security would be a drain on his finances.
“The problem is our community is growing so fast, that it isn’t able to keep up with providing the safety the community needs. Now, we’re going to end up like Spanaway. That’s the direction we’re heading,” Robinson said. “For us, we’re just trying to have a nice, little family business that provides food for people without alcohol, without drugs, without things that are unhealthy for people’s lives.”
Robinson added that Ma and Pa’s aims to provide a location where customers can enjoy a nice meal in a safe and pleasant environment. A large portion of the restaurant’s customers are elderly, and Smith and Robinson have already created an environment where they connect with their customers on a first name basis.
“This is what we’ve been doing for the last six years of our lives. We put our heart and soul into this, and we’ve built both businesses we’ve owned from scratch,” Robinson said. “It keeps us going knowing that this place is a safe haven for people that don’t want to do the things that destroy their lives. This is a place where the elderly can come and break bread amongst each other, a place where little kids can get gum balls like the good old days. What keeps me going is knowing it’s still the right thing to do.”
Despite the hit to their morale, Smith and Robinson want to spread love throughout the community.
“The way that we fight back against this isn’t with violence or anger, it’s with following the law. It’s making sure that people know there are police that are trying to do the best they can,” Robinson said “We, as citizens, cannot take matters into our own hands and hurt people, but we do have to represent our community. How do we do that? We do that by doing the right thing. We promote things that are good here. That’s why the community supports us.”
Smith said the couple is simply trying to live out the American Dream through their business, which also sells shirts Smith produces herself.
“You can buy them for your mom, your girlfriend, or your grandma. They can be great gifts. They have beautiful sayings on them to try and brighten people’s days and touch people’s hearts,” Robinson said. “We’re trying to promote positive things.”
The two are currently in the process of obtaining the building next door to Ma and Pa’s Family Diner to open “Ma’s Gift Shop.”
Follow Ma and Pa’s Family Diner on Facebook for updates regarding the store and the potential gift shop.
