In-N-Out Has Never Closed a Location—Until Now

In-N-Out Burger says that while it has relocated several restaurants over the years, what it is doing in Oakland is a sad first in its 75-year history. The California chain says it is permanently closing the "busy and profitable" restaurant because of crime concerns, NBC News reports. "We feel the frequency and severity of the crimes being encountered by our customers and associates leave us no alternative," Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick said Tuesday. "Despite taking repeated steps to create safer conditions, our customers and associates are regularly victimized by car break-ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies," Warnick said.

Warnick said the company can't ask customers and employees to "visit or work in an unsafe environment," CNN reports. The location near Oakland International Airport, which has been open for almost 20 years, will permanently close on March 24. The company said employees would be offered severance packages or transfers to other locations, reports the BBC. Crime levels fell nationwide last year, but they rose sharply in Oakland, per KGO. According to Oakland Police Department data, robberies rose 38% year-on-year, motor vehicle thefts rose 44%, and burglaries rose 23%. (More In-N-Out stories.)