CANTON, Md — A new Canton burger restaurant is bouncing back after being burglarized just days after its grand opening.
Wanna Smash, a brand new burger spot on the 3500 block of O'Donnell Street, was broken into late Wednesday night.
Surveillance video shows two men smashing one of the doors with a rock. The men later returned and started stealing items from the business.
New Canton burger restaurant Wanna Smash bounces back after being burglarized days after grand opening
Director of Operations, Dajana Vujatovic, said the thieves took a cash register, a safe, an iPad and bottles of tequila.
"They definitely got a good amount of stuff," Vujatovic said.
Vujatovic estimates the stolen items are worth between $8,000 and $9,000.
"It sucks when something like this happens so early on, but we're definitely like, you know, gonna keep pushing," Vujatovic said.
The restaurant had just welcomed hundreds of new customers with its Wagyu smash burgers, loaded fries and specialty drinks.
"We opened on Friday. It was so bittersweet because it was like finally, but it was also a little bit nerve-wracking. We didn't know how the neighborhood would respond to a concept that was a little bit different than like what's normal or what they are used to in this community," Vujatovic said.
"We had a really, really nice turnout. The community was super supportive," Vujatovic said.
Despite the incident, Wanna Smash was back in business immediately, welcoming customers the next day.
Ed Mejia, a customer who lives in Canton, said he was heartbroken to hear about the robbery happening so soon after the restaurant opened.
"I want to support, you know, a new local business that has really struggled to really open its doors. I said I'm glad I came to support it and had a great, great meal," Mejia said.
Mejia hopes the owners do not get discouraged.
"Don't give up, don't give up. You know this is a good neighborhood. We're going to support you, I'm going to support you, everyone else around here is going to support you," Mejia said.
Since the break-in, Wanna Smash has replaced the door and is adding more layers of security.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
