Vandalized During COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place
Donation protected
Most of the restaurant owners operate on a razor thin profit margin, but many operate below such line. With the advent of COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place Order, most of us were caught off guard.
Maruya is a Japanese owned restaurant whose owners are Emiko and Ray. They opened Maruya in 2013, located in the heart of San Francisco's Mission District on 16th Street. It was primarily a dine-in restaurant.
In the morning of March 27, 2020, we discovered all 4 glass window panels were vandalized and shattered. I walked down the block to visually inspect whether other businesses were vandalized. It seems Maruya was singled out.
The cost of replacing each window is about $1,000 each x 4 = $4,000, excluding the cost of boarding up. We quickly boarded up the windows.
Our finances are skating on thin ice. We already had to lay off all of our employees. We could only retain one to assist us in our take-out menu.
Since we did not have time to market our take-out menu, income trickles.
It is either pay some rent and payroll or replace the windows. It cannot be both. To make matters worse, we just could not simply replace the windows, we now have to install shutters to prevent such vandalism in the future. The estimated cost is also around $4,000 depending on what kind and type.
While we ponder on how to keep the business afloat so that our laid off workers will have a place to return, Maruya was again vandalized. This time some bad actor(s) tagged and wrote graffiti on the board.
I walked down the block to visually inspect whether other businesses were tagged. Maruya was singled out again. I now think that Maruya is a victim of the fallout of the Asian backlash of the COVID-19.
The money donated will be used for the replacement of the windows and installment of the shutter(s). Any unused portion of the donation will be used for payroll or to buy food for some of the laid off employees.
I understand many other restaurants are in the same situation and we are forever grateful for thinking of Maruya and especially its employees.
Maruya is a Japanese owned restaurant whose owners are Emiko and Ray. They opened Maruya in 2013, located in the heart of San Francisco's Mission District on 16th Street. It was primarily a dine-in restaurant.
In the morning of March 27, 2020, we discovered all 4 glass window panels were vandalized and shattered. I walked down the block to visually inspect whether other businesses were vandalized. It seems Maruya was singled out.
The cost of replacing each window is about $1,000 each x 4 = $4,000, excluding the cost of boarding up. We quickly boarded up the windows.
Our finances are skating on thin ice. We already had to lay off all of our employees. We could only retain one to assist us in our take-out menu.
Since we did not have time to market our take-out menu, income trickles.
It is either pay some rent and payroll or replace the windows. It cannot be both. To make matters worse, we just could not simply replace the windows, we now have to install shutters to prevent such vandalism in the future. The estimated cost is also around $4,000 depending on what kind and type.
While we ponder on how to keep the business afloat so that our laid off workers will have a place to return, Maruya was again vandalized. This time some bad actor(s) tagged and wrote graffiti on the board.
I walked down the block to visually inspect whether other businesses were tagged. Maruya was singled out again. I now think that Maruya is a victim of the fallout of the Asian backlash of the COVID-19.
The money donated will be used for the replacement of the windows and installment of the shutter(s). Any unused portion of the donation will be used for payroll or to buy food for some of the laid off employees.
I understand many other restaurants are in the same situation and we are forever grateful for thinking of Maruya and especially its employees.
Organizer and beneficiary
Pasadena Aikikai
Organizer
San Francisco, CA
Ray Feliciano
Beneficiary