Anthony Womack says he reeled with emotion after his ice cream shop in Bayview was broken into twice that same morning.
Womack told The Standard that he woke up on Friday morning and was told by a clerk that the What’s The Scoop store had been searched and all stock had been confiscated. Also, when the clerk arrived at around 10:45 am to open at 11:00 am, she found that the cash register and point-of-sale terminal were missing
Reviewing the store’s security footage confirmed Womack’s worst fears and more.
“Unfortunately, it happened twice on the same day, between 3am and 3:40am. The burglars were here about 40 minutes and just loaded up their car, lots of stuff,” he said. “Since the first group broke in and left the door unlocked, the second group marched right in and took what they wanted because no one was there yet.”
The black-owned, music-inspired ice cream parlor opened in November 2022.
Womack estimates his losses at around $12,000 to $13,000, excluding the loss of revenue from the weekend shutdown. It plans to reopen Tuesday after the cleanup.
Anthony Womack, owner of What’s The Scoop ice cream shop, poses in front of the store. | Camille Cohen/The Standard
“The part that kind of hurts the most [is the] POS system and our register, because there was about $500 in the register. The first group took the cash drawer where all the money was.
The San Francisco Police Department did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication. As of June 4 this year, residents reported 178 burglaries to police in Bayview, according to the ministry. That’s a nearly 30% drop from the same period in 2022, when police documented 251 burglaries.
“Scoop ice cream with your hands”
Surveillance video: still of a woman scooping ice cream with her hands after allegedly breaking into the store in June 2023. | Image courtesy
The suspect, who arrived at 10 a.m., may have taken over $2,000 worth of equipment but wasn’t done yet.
“Then she treated herself to some ice cream, too,” Womack said. “That’s the part that really hurt us because she was scooping ice cream with her hands. I’m really proud of the cleanliness of our store and the integrity of our ice cream.”
Womack was forced to discard about 24 gallons of ice that may have been contaminated from the unsanitary hand scooping.
“Some of these were really brand new and full, and some were halfway through,” Womack said. “It was just thousands of dollars wasted right there. I’ve replenished our supplies and things like that, but by and large that’s how I spent the weekend.”
Security still image shows an alleged burglary at What’s the Scoop ice cream parlor in Bayview in early June 2023. | Image courtesy
A Bayview native, Womack grew up near the store’s Third Street and Armstrong Avenues and believes the burglaries were a personal attack.
“Who would do such a thing?” he asked. “I think it’s a personal attack because everyone who comes here knows me. I grew up around here.”
Womack even wondered if he should keep the store open at all or move to another location.
“Every day, I take it day by day and I take a few nice moments throughout the day,” he said. “But there are a lot of bad moments that I feel outweigh the good ones.”
Ice Cream Social
Anthony Womack (center), owner of What’s The Scoop ice cream shop, cuts the ribbon at the grand opening at 5668 Third St. in Bayview on November 17, 2022. | Camille Cohen/The Standard
Womack has dealt with petty crime at his shop before – albeit in a gentle way, by asking two boys who tried to steal tips from his jar to return them before fulfilling their order.
“I tried to use it as a lesson for him,” he said. “I grew up here. I feel like this is my community. I want to do it right the best I can.”
To that end, Womack is hosting an ice cream social to welcome the community back indoors and invites other business members to visit and promote their own ventures.
Stop by Saturday from 12pm to 7pm for treats like milkshakes, root beer floats, banana splits and freshly baked cookies, plus assorted flavors for just $2 a scoop.
What’s the scoop?
📍 5668 Third St.
🔗 whatsthescoop415.com
