Photo by George Liu
Someone broke into Kau Kau BBQ Restaurant on 656 South King Street on the morning of April 28 and stole cash.
Owner Richard Chang told the Northwest Asian Weekly that the door lock was pried open with a hard object. A customer who walked into Kau Kau to buy food found the door busted open and called the Seattle Police Department (SPD).
Chang entered his restaurant after SPD officers called. He said the burglar took less than $1,000 from the cash register. It’s unclear if there were other damages and loss besides the broken lock.
“I don’t think we can claim much from the insurance company since it’s under $1,000,” said Chang. Replacing the lock might cost a few hundred dollars, he said, but he wasn’t certain. When the Northwest Asian Weekly arrived at the restaurant in the mid-afternoon, a locksmith was still fixing the lock.
“With coronavirus, the homeless are everywhere, and prison inmates have been released,” said Chang.
Kau Kau was open seven days a week before the pandemic. Now, it closes for business on Tuesdays.
Kau Kau was the first Chinese barbecue shop to open not only in the Chinatown-International District, but the state of Washington. Founded by Chang’s father-in-law, Wai Eng, in 1974, Kau Kau is famous for its barbecue pork, and many traditional Chinese dishes.