A Midtown Sacramento cafe, Cinnapop Cafe at 611 16th St., was burglarized days before its first storefront opening, and owner Chhayleang Tang says the doors will still open on Nov. 14, 2026.
A new Midtown Sacramento cafe was broken into before it served a single customer. Cinnapop Cafe, a small, family-owned cinnamon roll business at 611 16th St., had its glass front door shattered some time after 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, The Sacramento Bee reported. Owner Chhayleang Tang says the cafe will still open on Saturday, Nov. 14, as planned. For owners who are building out a first storefront, the story is a reminder that the weeks before opening are a period of real risk.
According to the Bee, the burglar took construction equipment, including a tool cart, a drill and a saw kit. ABC10 reported that a cash drawer was also taken. Sacramento police responded to a call from the business at 9:15 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, and a department spokesperson, Allison Smith, said no suspects had been identified. Tang shared video of the damaged door on the cafe’s Instagram account.
Cinnapop started as a pop-up and built its following at farmers markets, selling cinnamon rolls in flavors such as classic vanilla sugar, blueberry, Biscoff, mango, ube, Oreo and pistachio. ABC10 reported that the owners put their time and savings into the 16th Street storefront. Tang told the Bee the timing made the loss especially hard because the cafe had not yet opened its doors.
Midtown remains one of the region’s busiest areas for new small businesses. CBS Sacramento reported in February 2026 that 24 businesses opened in Midtown in 2025, and that the neighborhood was on pace to match that number in 2026. A space under construction, with tools and equipment on site and no regular foot traffic yet, can be an easy target.
Owners preparing to open can lower that risk: confirm that your insurance covers the build-out period and equipment stored on site, take tools and cash home or lock them in a secured room, add a camera or alarm before the opening day rather than after, and keep receipts and serial numbers so a police report and an insurance claim move quickly.
Key takeaways
- Cinnapop Cafe, 611 16th St. in Midtown Sacramento, was burglarized on the night of Nov. 4, 2026; police had no suspects as of Nov. 5.
- Owner Chhayleang Tang says the cafe will open as planned on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026.
- New storefronts are most exposed during build-out: check insurance, secure tools and cash, and install cameras or alarms before opening.
