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East Sprague business sees repeated theft and burglary

Owner of Carl's Coffee in the Sprague Union District said his business has been burglarized three times in the one year its been open.

SPOKANE, Wash. — Wade Bofto said he's put in a lot of work getting his coffee shop, Carl's Coffee, off the ground.

He said everything about his business was intentional, from naming the shop after his oldest dog to calling his rewards, "Carl's Kisses."

He even has a special menu just for customers' furry friends.

Bofto was able to open up on East Sprague in April 2022, but health complications forced him to close his doors just four months later.

"August 1, I had open heart surgery so that was just a massive set back after all of that hard work,” Bofto explained.

After taking the time to recover, Bofto reopened Oct. 2022. In the year he's been opened, he's seen plenty of new and regular customers daily.

He's also encountered a fair share of challenges in the last year, including being the target of petty crimes and theft.

"Feels like such a slap in the face where I did so much work getting it open," Bofto said. "Recovering from surgery, and all of that stuff, just to be vandalized.” 

Bofto said criminals have tried to burglarize the coffee shop five times and were successful three times. He said the most recent attack was Thursday night.

"So disheartening and so discouraging, you know," Bofto said. "Cause this is my whole life and to have somebody step on that for nothing. You know, this last time they stole pastries and whipped cream. But they broke my window and that’s expensive.”

Bofto said each break-in has cost him hundreds in repairs. He said in addition to taking a toll on him physically, it's also taken a toll mentally.

"It's hard to sleep at times because of all the notifications I get about activity in the area," Bofto said.

Spokane Police said criminal incidents within a quarter-mile radius of the shop are down 10 from last year. So far, there have been 100 criminal incidents near the Sprague Union District year-to-date. 

Reports do show there have been 12 incidents in the area in just the last month.

Bofto has security cameras set up, but the suspect was captured only through photos and was wearing a mask.

In light of the crimes, he said the community has been supportive of his situation.

"It’s been a little bit overwhelming," Bofto said. "I don’t know how to say thank you to everyone.” 

He said some customers have tipped an extra $10, $20 or $50. He even said someone told him to set up a PayPal for donations.

He said a group of his regular customers helped put up a board Friday after a suspect smashed the shop window.

Bofto said he never imagined being a favorite coffee shop for people in his community. 

It's the dedication to the people who have rallied behind him and his dream that keep him going.

"I can't say thank you to everyone enough," Bofto said.

Bofto doesn't think this will be the last time, he said crime is prevalent across Spokane.

He's hoping to save money to invest in a more in-depth security system to protect his shop and all the hard work he put into getting Carl's Coffee up and running.

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