A Black owned juice bar in Minneapolis has been the target of crime ever since they opened in late May. “Day 5 of being open the juice bar was broken into,” Catiesha Pierson, the owner of The Dripping Root, wrote after the latest burglary. “Day 12 I got a hateful letter in the mail. Day 15 of being open the juice bar was broken into again & really I am just trying to keep it all together.”
The Dripping Root opened in Minneapolis on May 29 and Pierson’s goal was to help create a culture of health and wellness. She had been running her business on social media, but it grew quickly and organically. She opened her storefront with the hopes of continuing to grow her small business. Her shop serves cold-pressed juices and smoothie bowls.
Right after she opened she was struck by a burglary, which was caught on video. The perpetrators can be seen smashing the windows of her shop. Afterwards, she posted on Instagram saying “Everyone is okay. Everything is okay just need time to clean up and get things back together.” The land-lord covered the cost of the damages from the first break-in.
The second burglary occurred in mid-June and the thief took an iPad and a napkin holder which were later discovered in a neighbor’s front yard. Pierson wrote that she doesn’t understand why the break-ins are occurring despite not keeping cash on location as indicated by the “No cash” sign. She said, “I will never understand why people do what they do but all I can do, all anyone can do when bad things happen is to keep pushing!”
The burglaries have led to more support for Pierson’s shop with some comments saying that customers will “show up in numbers” after what she has gone through.
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Hayley Tschetter is a reporter with The Minnesota Sun | Star News Network and The College Fix. She graduated with a degree in Communications from the University of Northwestern-St. Paul. Send news tips to [email protected].
Photo “The Dripping Root” by The Dripping Root.
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