NEW ORLEANS — A New Orleans bar known as BJ's Lounge was broken into on Tuesday morning. Bar owners said almost $6,500 was stolen.
Owners said the burglary was a loss that could put the bar financially at risk. The Bywater bar is seeking help from the public to stay afloat and to help pay upcoming bills.
"The safe was open and money was gone," Ryan Scully, owner of BJ's Lounge told WWL-TV reporter Whitney Miller.
Scully said he usually doesn't leave deposits in the safe and wishes he would have done things differently.
"We know we could have done better to secure the funds and that we shouldn't have kept that much on hand," he said in a statement on GoFundMe's website. "We learned a lesson."
BJ's Lounge was one of the number of businesses in the Bywater that had been broken into in the last two weeks. The burglary comes after the bar started to get back on its feet after a slow summer.
Scully said keeping his staff and patrons safe is priority. With the funds, the bar plans to install a new camera and security system. Locals donated to the bar's GoFundMe account to help raise money and Scully is grateful for their support.
"It's been a horrible experience that's been transformed through the love of everybody into really a hopeful one," he said.
To support BJ's Lounge visit GoFundMe.
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