Rally to Assist ‘Espresso and Toast’ Oakland Meals Truck – NBC Bay Space

An Oakland food truck owner is working to get back on the road after a burglary halted her business less than a year after it opened.

The Coffee and Toast food truck is designed to help customers start their day off on the right foot but has been parked instead since last month after it was broken into and almost everything inside was removed.

“I fell and cried because I think what people don’t know is if you rob or break into a coffee or food truck don’t take it from a big company. You take from a mother, from a father, you’re taking from a community member,” said Coffee and Toast owner Tiffany Stewart.

Stewart said the truck was attacked overnight while parked in a church lot. The thieves not only stole the generator and surveillance cameras, but also destroyed the plumbing and electrical systems.

The owner adds that damage will cost her at least $5,000, and that cost increases every day she’s not in business.

Now customers and strangers are flocking behind Stewart to get her to get the truck back on the road.

“She’s a black woman, a mother, and that brought a lot of us together,” said client Kendra Edwards. “I would meet people at the cart. It means a lot to us.”

Edwards is among nearly 100 supporters who have raised more than $4,000 through GoFundMe to help with repairs. Edwards said the effort went beyond a good cup of coffee.

“To see someone running their own business, starting it, building it physically from the ground up, it’s important to see that kind of representation,” Edwards said.

The representation and determination are both things Stewart hopes she can continue to serve once her business is up and running again.

“I hope this sparks something in all of us to make sure that the things we want in our community are what we are fighting for and that means safety and that means accountability,” Stewart said.