San Jose-based coffee chain going cashless because of rampant break-ins
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A South Bay coffee shop is announcing a new policy because of too many break-ins: On Monday, the San Jose-based Voyager Craft Coffee is going cashless.
Voyager has about half a dozen locations across the South Bay, and its owners announced on Facebook that over the last 10 years, their stores have been broken into more than 20 times.
Co-owner Sameer Shah told KTVU that it's scary for his employees to have to bump into the thieves face to face.
"In order to keep them safe and have no chance of something bad happening while someone is looking for money, we wanted to put an end to this," Shah said.
The company posted a screenshot of one of the most recent break-ins, saying it was their third in three weeks.
Thieves usually break glass to enter and steal cash.
"The safety of our baristas and guests is our top priority, and we can no longer risk putting them in harm’s way," the company wrote.
The decision was not made lightly, Shah said, but made to protect its employees and the community.
Voyager is still allowing a grace period, so cash will be accepted through the end of September. After that, only credit cards or apps like Venmo will be accepted.