San Francisco Business Owner Refuses to Be Defeated Despite $300K Burglary

Despite suffering a devastating burglary that resulted in the theft of over $300,000 worth of merchandise, Ben Wang, owner of Dare Fashion in San Francisco, remains hopeful about the city's future.

Ben Wang, the proud owner of Dare Fashion in San Francisco, has faced a series of challenges in recent years, including five robberies within the past three years. The most recent burglary, which occurred on May 1st, cost Wang's business over $300,000, forcing him to set up a GoFundMe page to help recoup his losses.

Despite these setbacks, Wang has not given up on the city where he has run his business for 17 years. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Wang expressed his unwavering belief in San Francisco's potential.

"I love San Francisco," Wang said. "I really do. I really believe in what San Francisco has always stood for, which is a progressive place where we're going to try new things, and it's always been a place where we would think compassionately about other people."

However, Wang acknowledged that the city has faced some challenges in recent years, including a rise in homelessness and drug use.

"I really do think that we got ahead of our skis a little bit. We tried some things, and when they didn't work, we doubled down on them," Wang said, referring to policies such as Prop 47, which downgraded certain thefts and drug possession crimes from a felony to a misdemeanor.

Despite these concerns, Wang emphasized that he is not a politician and does not have specific policy advice for the city. However, he believes that it is time for San Francisco to "rethink things."

"There is a lot of human poop and pee on the street," Wang said. "And we have to acknowledge that's not hygienic and that's disgusting."

Even after his shop was burglarized, Wang said that he pushed to relocate to a different part of San Francisco because he still loves the city. He acknowledged that he knows business owners whose companies have failed in the wake of COVID, but he remains committed to his own venture.

"I do know businesses that have shut down for sure," he said. "And people who have lost everything or they lost their business."

"I know people who have left," Wang said, arguing that San Francisco politicians have an opportunity to ask themselves "why people are leaving" and "what is so difficult about running a business in San Francisco?"

Overall, Wang cares deeply about connecting people in San Francisco, especially after COVID.

"One of the reasons I love San Francisco [is that it] has always been a place throughout history that has served people who didn't necessarily feel like they belonged in the communities where they were coming from," he said.

"People have always come to San Francisco to let their free flag fly and to be themselves," Wang continued. "I just don't think that even if with bad policies, even with all this other stuff happening, you can't crush that spirit."