The bakery DC Sweet Potato Cake is working to rebuild after thieves broke in and destroyed equipment just as the holiday season begins.
The break-in at the small business’ baking location in Baltimore came just a week before Thanksgiving, and as owner April Richardson prepared to open a location in downtown D.C.
“Someone has actually come into your space and they’ve taken everything and ransacked it, and they touched our stuff. It’s devastating,” she said.
DC Sweet Potato Cake has locations in Prince George’s County and Baltimore, and sells sweets in a long list of stores in the D.C. area including Starbucks, Safeway, and Wegmans.
The company’s Baltimore manufacturing facility was broken into Tuesday night, with much of the equipment damaged or destroyed. Staff members had to stop taking new orders and have resorted to hand-mixing and hand-labeling cakes.
Standing outside the D.C. location that Richardson still plans to open, she said she worried about the long-term impact of the crime.
“It’s more than just, oh, can we raise money to rebuild? It becomes a mental health game, like, are we now safe? Can I protect my customers? Can I protect my employees?” she said. “That’s the part that lives beyond us being able to get through the holiday season. That’s the part that’s hurtful.”
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The business started a fundraiser to help replace expensive equipment. Police are investigating and said they think thieves ransacked the bakery looking for money.
