KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KCTV) – A Kansas City cafe says it’s had a tough time recovering from a break-in, but customer support has helped keep the doors open.

In the early hours of Monday morning, Anchor Island Coffee Shop on Troost Avenue was broken into. Surveillance video provided by the owners shows two men in black entering the shop through a takeout window. The owners claim the thieves took cooking pots used to cook food.

The cafe has been broken into three times in the past four years. Owner Armando Vasquez says he avoids filing a claim with his insurance company for fear of being dropped.

“The only explanation they give is that we don’t cover that area or that we don’t touch that area. They don’t give exact reasons, but a lot of people say it’s because of redlining,” Vasquez said.

He says after filing a claim for a previous incident in 2022, he received minimal coverage from his insurance company at the time and was fired shortly afterward. So this time, he and his co-owner plan to pay the cost of the store’s broken windows and doors out of their own pockets.

“It’s frustrating because we have something there that we’re not allowed to use. We can use it. We could use it, but we could lose it at the same time, so it’s just very frustrating,” Vasquez said.

Customers have supported their business with every cup of coffee. With each purchase, Vasquez says, they are one step closer to normality.

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“Customers come in and say, ‘Hey, I heard about your incident. I’m here to help you. I’ll buy a cup of coffee, I’ll buy something to eat. I’ll borrow a friend,'” Vasquez said.

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