Upper Arlington police believe the most recent incident occurred between 10 p.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday at The Daily Growler.
UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio — Police are investigating a string of break-ins at a Fishinger Road strip mall after at least two businesses were burglarized over the past week.
Upper Arlington police believe the most recent incident occurred between 10 p.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday at The Daily Growler. Detectives are actively reviewing security camera footage to determine whether any items were taken.
Among those targeted was Colin’s Coffee, a dual-concept business inside The Daily Growler — a craft beer bar — in the evenings. Owner of Colin’s Coffee, Colin Gawel, described the business’s unique setup simply: “It’s coffee in the morning, beer at night, and it works out really great.”
Gawel and Daily Growler space owner John Blakely discovered their business had been vandalized Monday morning. Despite the break-in, Gawel said he does not believe anything was stolen, crediting the business’s policy of not keeping cash on the premises overnight.
“We don’t leave any money in here at night and you know in the modern world, there’s not that much cash flowing around anyway,” Gawel said.
Still, Gawel expressed an unexpected sympathy toward whoever is responsible. “You don’t want that to happen ever. At the same time, I do feel bad someone’s in such a desperate state that they have to break through a door to come in and get nothing,” he said.
The business was not alone in being targeted. Gawel noted that a neighboring establishment also fell victim to a similar crime the week prior. “UA Pizza right around the corner — their door got smash and grabbed last week,” he said.
The incident adds to what Gawel described as an already difficult financial climate for small business owners. Rising healthcare costs and the increasing prices of essential goods have taken a toll, and Gawel pointed to broader economic pressures compounding the strain.
“Things like tariffs and coffee prices — you know, when you’re a small business, all of that stuff really matters,” he said. “It’s tough enough these days to be a small businessman, so you don’t need any extra expenses and hassles, that’s for sure.”
Despite the hardship, Gawel remained optimistic about his community’s support. “We have a great community, great staff, great people down here. So we feel very supported and very lucky. So at the end of the day, not the end of the world,” he said.
Blakely noted that the vandalized door was costly to replace. Those looking to support the businesses can do so by continuing to patronize Colin’s Coffee and The Daily Growler.
