ROSEVILLE, Calif. — After seeing on social media that Flour Dust Pizza Company in Roseville had its windows smashed, long-time customer Chris Cheshire and his family were shocked.
"We were heartbroken that someone would go to those lengths to damage property," Cheshire said.
On June 27 around 1 a.m., security footage from Flour Dust Pizza Company shows a person walking around the outdoor patio and in front of the restaurant. The video shows a person holding a bar-shaped object and glass shards can be seen flying in front of the security camera.
Since the restaurant is closed on Sunday and Monday, it wasn't until Tuesday that staff returned and saw the damage.
When the owner of Flour Dust Pizza Company, Mano Vrapi, walked into work on June 28, he saw that every one of his 17 windows was smashed.
"My jaw dropped, like, I just was speechless. I just did not know what to say or do — I could not wrap my mind around it in that moment," Vrapi said.
He said there was no attempt to get into the restaurant or take anything, which was strange and shocking.
"With all the work that we had done on the windows, we had put a graphic artwork on the outside and tinting and so on, and these windows are going to be close to $20,000 in repairs," Vrapi said.
The restaurant fixed the windows and opened indoor dining a few days later. Vrapi says they have taken additional safety measures like installing another security camera since the incident.
Although they wrote in a Facebook post insurance would help them cover most of the damage, many people were commenting wanting to help, so Flour Dust Pizza Company took the time to shine a light on other local organizations.
"If you are feeling compelled to help, here are some places to donate that always need assistance with their great work: Foster Hope Sacramento — they are going to be providing back-to-school supplies for foster children and their families who need support. California Fire Foundation — with wildfire season around the corner, let’s help them get prepared to help families who will need it," wrote Flour Dust Pizza Company in a Facebook post.
Cheshire said it just shows how humble and dedicated the business is to the community.
"It's one thing to have a business that employs folks in the local community... it's a whole other level when you promote other businesses and organizations," Cheshire said.
Although Vrapi says it's not necessary for people to show up and support them after an incident like this, if there is a silver lining to the ordeal, it's been seeing the new and familiar faces who have taken the time to stop by.
"It's been heartwarming because now you tell yourself like, okay, well this did happen and maybe this will turn into something good from it, but it's the fear of something like this happening again. It's a little bit scary because you don't want to deal with stuff like this over and over," Vrapi said.
How it all started
What started out as a pizza truck six years ago became a full-fledged restaurant in 2019 and is now getting recognized as part of Yelp's Top 50 Places in the Sacramento Area to Eat for 2022.
After 11 years in the insurance industry, Vrapi decided to follow his dream of making pizza and even trained in Florence, Italy, to learn the craft.
"I love making pizza. I love trying other people's spin on pizza, so it's a personal passion of mine," Vrapi said.
Cheshire says this passion and family-friendly environment is what makes the restaurant so inviting.
"You just feel welcome when you walk in the door — whether it's your first time or your hundredth time," Cheshire said.
For people who are thinking about checking out Flour Dust Pizza Company, Cheshire says you can't go wrong with a Margherita pizza and for those who don't mind a little pineapple, the Bros Hawaiian is one of his favorites.
Flour Dust Pizza Company is located at 5080 Foothills Blvd., Suite 5, and is open Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday from 4-8:30 p.m. and Friday from 4-9 p.m.
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