In N Out closing Oakland Airport area location

[storewanderer]

https://sfstandard.com/2024/01/21/in-n- ... -location/

This is at that shopping center with the closed Wal Mart on the way to the airport.

Sigh... and they seemed to have been doing a better job keeping the issues from occurring in front of their business... than some of the other businesses in the center. Or the nearby gas stations where your car will literally be broken into as you have your back turned trying to run your payment card through the pump. The car rental companies at Oakland Airport now advise you to not buy gas at the stations by the airport. They are tired of having so many vehicles out of service for window replacements given the already tight rental car inventories.

The Raising Cane's at the shopping center is drive through only and has a fenced compound for its employees to park their cars and multiple roaming security. It also does not take online orders. The only way it will serve customers at any hour is via drive through.

Panda Express is at the center too... by the In N Out...

[Alpha8472]

As much as some people hate Walmart, the shopping center was much safer when Walmart was open. You had more people walking around and it felt safer.

If the Walmart were to reopen as a Sam's Club, it would make the shopping center much safer. There are plenty of people in the area who would shop at Sam's Club. The nearest Costco in San Leandro is way too crowded. A Sam's Club would relieve the pressure on the overloaded Costco.

[storewanderer]

As much as some people hate Walmart, the shopping center was much safer when Walmart was open. You had more people walking around and it felt safer.

If the Walmart were to reopen as a Sam's Club, it would make the shopping center much safer. There are plenty of people in the area who would shop at Sam's Club. The nearest Costco in San Leandro is way too crowded. A Sam's Club would relieve the pressure on the overloaded Costco.

I don't think anyone was happy when that Wal Mart closed. It was a busy, popular store. It had a major theft problem but the smash and grab situation was not like this when it was open. The gas stations were basically safe. You didn't have to worry about a break in as you were putting your payment card into the pump back then...

I am afraid nothing is going to happen in this area but that it will just become desolate/deserted/vacant.

Then the crime will what, just move to some other area?

Targeting customers who are in a rush and on their way to the airport or tourists who just arrived and are tired/hungry/thirsty after a long flight and stop at the first place they can find is a smart strategic move for the criminal groups who are engaging in these rapid smash and grabs throughout these parking lots and at the gas stations. They may not be able to find another location quite as ideal as this stretch of road.

These criminal groups are also quite strategic in the sense that they do not try to physically rob the person. They just break the window and steal whatever they can out of the vehicle. The charges for that type of physical property crime/petty theft would be much lower than if they were to knock the customer over as they were at the gas pump and steal their wallet. But these groups aren't getting charged for any crimes at all and know it. These groups are well organized and know what they can get away with.

This sort of thing only hurts tourism or otherwise inconveniences people. Yes people have travel insurance, credit card "auto rental collision damage waiver" coverage, etc. so they will get the value of the stolen stuff back and unlikely even have to pay the car rental company for damage to the vehicle. But someone pays that claim money to the victims, it doesn't come out of thin air. It also gives the city/area an even worse reputation than it already has.

[Alpha8472]

The criminals will move to the next In N Out and steal from there. The good thing is that the police in other nearby cities are more responsive to crime.

Oakland is the problem with an understaffed police department. If the city would just have more police, it might reduce the crime problem.

[bryceleinan]

It’s even worse at some of the hotels along Hegenberger, and even Embarcardero. It’s pretty common to either have your vehicle broken into or stolen, and that’s despite some of the properties having security. Oakland, the City of Alameda, and Alameda County have crime “heat maps” on their websites - I’ve learned to study those to determine where to stay in that area. I’ve found tricks that work for me, and are pretty safe compared to that corridor.

I tell people to actively avoid that area, similar to what the rental car folks say. There are a couple of gas stations and restaurants in Alameda I’ll use, and that’s it. If I want INO, I’ll go to the one off Willie Stargell at the north end of Alameda. Not surprised in the least that INO Oakland is closing from my recent experience there.

[ClownLoach]

I have on excellent authority that the Walmart was one of the top 25 volume locations in the company, but it was losing over $10M a year in shrink and as a result was losing a fortune plus it was multiple years in a row negative comping due to not being able to keep in stock. Too many items had little to no sales because they were all stolen. Threats of violence even against armed security. They will never come back.

[storewanderer]

It’s even worse at some of the hotels along Hegenberger, and even Embarcardero. It’s pretty common to either have your vehicle broken into or stolen, and that’s despite some of the properties having security. Oakland, the City of Alameda, and Alameda County have crime “heat maps” on their websites - I’ve learned to study those to determine where to stay in that area. I’ve found tricks that work for me, and are pretty safe compared to that corridor.

I tell people to actively avoid that area, similar to what the rental car folks say. There are a couple of gas stations and restaurants in Alameda I’ll use, and that’s it. If I want INO, I’ll go to the one off Willie Stargell at the north end of Alameda. Not surprised in the least that INO Oakland is closing from my recent experience there.

The positioning of the INO and the Panda Express at the back corner of the lot doesn't do them any favors. But that doesn't seem to matter. It is also too bad because OAK is a great airport for commuting in/out. I hope this does not hurt OAK and cause it to lose flights. I am not sure the city understands how important the airport is.

SFO is just too much (money, walking, etc.) unless you need an international connection. SJC is also a nice easy commute airport if you need to be down that far. The BART that connects OAK to the main BART line is okay even though you have to walk out over there on the other side of the freeway from that shopping center and buy a ticket for the main BART line it is okay. So far.

[Alpha8472]

The next next nearest Walmart store in San Leandro has absorbed the customers. That store was declared the number one Division 1 store in the Western U.S. in terms of sales numbers.

That store has had its share of crime and violence. In 2020, it was looted and set on fire. After 4 months of rebuilding, it was reopened.

However, San Leandro seems somewhat safer than Oakland. The police are much more responsive, the people are higher income, the customers seem more civilized, etc. Security improvements since the looting have turned things around.

The main thing would be an elite armed security service made up of veterans. By far they are the best security service I have ever seen at a retail store. Somehow this store has scared away the shoplifters and has very high sales.

[storewanderer]

The next next nearest Walmart store in San Leandro has absorbed the customers. That store was declared the number one Division 1 store in the Western U.S. in terms of sales numbers.

That store has had its share of crime and violence. In 2020, it was looted and set on fire. After 4 months of rebuilding, it was reopened.

However, San Leandro seems somewhat safer than Oakland. The police are much more responsive, the people are higher income, the customers seem more civilized, etc. Security improvements since the looting have turned things around.

The main thing would be an elite armed security service made up of veterans. By far they are the best security service I have ever seen at a retail store. Somehow this store has scared away the shoplifters and has very high sales.

San Leandro is only about 15 square miles while Oakland is about 80 square miles.

Oakland spent $358 million on police budget in 2023 and San Leandro spent $46.5 million on police budget in 2023.

The reviews on that San Leandro location are a lot more positive lately than they used to be.

I am not sure if they could have turned the Oakland location around. Without local police support I don't think so. And given how there is no police support for the restaurants/gas stations on that stretch victimizing various tourists who are on their way to/from the airport I highly doubt the police there would care about trying to protect Wal Mart. Maybe I am biased being from NV but you do need to take care of your tourists and having such a major amount of crime occurring on the road into the airport where tourists are heavily being impacted is not something that should be tolerated. Ultimately the airport will lose flights and these tourists will be that much less likely to spend ANY money in Oakland. Obviously they aren't spending a vacation in Oakland but when they are not even able to spend $20 on gas or $10 on a quick meal without risking a car break in that is a terrible situation.

[SamSpade]

For unknown reasons, our local Fox-affiliated television station decided to broadcast the story about this Oakland In-n-Out location closing. Unfortunately it provided none of the context or information here (typical network TV), and basically made Oakland sound like a crime-ridden horror show.

So, there ya' go. The power of "misinformation" further clouding the perception of an already challenged city.

Thankfully they and others have mostly stopped their assault on the local downtown and city core, with the exception of the Sinclair owned station.