Multiple Break-Ins at Katy Asian Town as Local Restaurants Continue to be Targets

KATY MAGAZINE NEWS

July 28, 2022

By Natalie Cook Clark

Seven businesses in Katy Asian Town were broken into this week leaving owners frustrated and concerned over the increasing crime. This is the second break-in in two weeks for one restaurant.

Photos courtesy of Gil Funz.

7 Break-Ins in the Same Area

“It’s been tough with the pandemic, raising prices, inflation and labor shortages to stay open,” says Gil Funz, owner of Dim Sum Box, “and now seven break-ins in the same area in two nights.”

Around 4:00 p.m. Wednesday morning Harris County Sheriff’s Office notified Funz of a break-in. He rushed up to his restaurant to find that the police had the wrong address and that it was the neighboring business in Katy Asian Town that had been broken into and not his, but they weren’t the only one burglarized.

A total of seven businesses in Katy Asian Town have all experienced break-ins this Tuesday or Wednesday.

Ding Tea Katy, LAVA Coffee & Dessert, and Fork It were broken into Tuesday morning around 2:00 a.m. Then security cameras caught the same man breaking into Breaktime Tea Lounge and Banh mi, Black Pearl Seafood, Yummy Pho, and Beard Papa’s on Wednesday around 3:00 a.m.

Fork It, that serves authentic fusion food, has only been open around twenty days. Their website talks about their recipes passed down through generations and the owner’s determination to make her dream of owning a restaurant come true.

Breaktime Tea Lounge and Banh mi took to their Facebook page to share the news and frustration over the break-ins. This is the second time that they were burglarized in two weeks.

“It’s definitely getting worse and is more prevalent and more frequent,” they wrote. “We share in the pain, loss, and frustration with our neighboring businesses that were affected.”

Security cameras caught the same man walking around on foot, breaking into the businesses both nights. Harris County Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with information to call their office at 713-755-6044.

For now, Gil Funz of Dim Sum Box is safe, but he worries about his business, fellow business owners, and the industry. His family owns Fung’s Kitchen, one of the most well-known Chinese restaurants in the Houston area since 1990. It’s been his dream to open his own restaurant and he did open Dim Sum Box in February of 2022.

More Katy Restaurants Were Hit Last Week

Last week, Shogun, Roegel’s, and Hunan were also broken into.

“This is happening all over our community,” says Funz. “Business owners, please be aware and especially restaurant owners, please stay safe.”

Funz encourages people to go support these businesses and always support local businesses. Many of these places are family owned and struggling through the current economic climate and now these break-ins.

“It's a stressful and troubling times,” says Funz.