Seattle’s small businesses face mounting frustrations over repeated break-ins, urging City Hall for action as property crime surges, threatening their survival.
SEATTLE — Seattle small business owners say they are increasingly frustrated by repeated break-ins across the city, warning that without stronger action from City Hall, some may not survive.
As a new mayor takes office, shop owners from West Seattle to Belltown say ongoing property crime is costing them money, time and peace of mind.
Surveillance video from Meeples Games, a collectibles shop on California Avenue, shows a thief smashing the glass door, stealing valuables and leaving behind extensive damage. Video shows the man pillaging the front area of the store, according to business co-owner Laura Schneider.
Items stolen included collectible card games such as Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon, which the owner said “can be pretty valuable.”
Schneider, who has owned Meeples Games on California Avenue for 12 years, said her store has been hit repeatedly. “This is time seven, or eight,” Schneider said, describing how often thieves have targeted her business. Despite investing more in security measures, she said it has not been enough. “Every time we beef up the security more, and they still get past it,” she said.
Schneider said the financial strain is adding up in a city where operating costs are already high. “It is already incredibly expensive to do business in Seattle,” she said. She hopes the city’s new mayor, Katie Wilson, understands the urgency. “We’re going to be gone, and then our neighborhoods are going to suffer, and the city will suffer because it will just be corporate,” Schneider said.
In Belltown, Imperial Kitchen and Bar on First Avenue and Battery Street was hit twice in December. Surveillance video shows a suspect using a rock to break the glass.
“He picked up a big rock and just threw it in,” owner Derek Chen said, adding, “The dude just dashed.” Nothing was stolen, but the business still faced repair costs and had to shut down their restaurant for a day. “We had to clean up and then board up the windows,” the owner said. Because of high insurance premiums, the damage was not severe enough to justify a claim.
Nearby, Cotto Belltown experienced similar damage when someone shattered its front door with a rock. After the glass was replaced, the owner said another incident occurred Wednesday, when someone pried off the deadbolt and bent the doorframe, leading to additional costly repairs.
KING 5 News reached out to Mayor Katie Wilson’s office for comment. In a statement, the office said, in part, “The mayor isn’t available for this interview… That said, there is no doubt the city needs to do more to support community businesses around the city, and that will be a priority for the mayor throughout her term.”
Not every victim is reporting these crimes, however, and Chen is one example. “Vandalism like this, well, just count on yourself, right?” he said. This type of reluctance brings into question the reliability of SPD’s crime data. That said, public crime data shows burglary was less frequent across Seattle in 2025 than it was in 2024. Since 2026 only just began, the data is incomplete for the month of January.
Wilson’s spokesperson also told KING 5, “The mayor’s transition process is focused on community engagement to identify the key issues and priorities in various issue areas… I expect there will be recommendations,” adding, “The mayor will take those very seriously.”
Some business owners said they were able to rely on the city’s Storefront Repair Fund to get reimbursed for damage. Those concerned about break-ins can also speak directly with Seattle police at a community meeting scheduled for Wednesday at the Rainier Beach Community Center.
