The now boarded-up Denny’s in Oakland, which closed Jan. 31, has been vandalized with graffiti, according to locals.

“One day they are boarding it up, the next it’s covered in graffiti,” Oakland resident Seneca Scott told The Epoch Times.

According to Denny’s company executives, the restaurant, which had been open for more than half a century, closed over concerns for the safety of its workers and restaurant guests.

“Denny’s has been honored to serve the Oakland community over the last 54 years. Closing a restaurant location is never an easy decision or one taken lightly. However, the safety and well-being of Denny’s team members and valued guests is our top priority,” representatives told The Epoch Times Feb. 1 in an emailed statement.

The closure comes after other high-profile businesses have recently closed, citing safety concerns and increased crime.

Such concerns have rankled locals—including some who have called for the city to declare a state of emergency—and prompted an effort to recall the city’s mayor, Sheng Thao.

Resident Duane Tatum, 31, born and raised in Oakland, told The Epoch Times that he feels the closing businesses and rampant crime is an embarrassment to residents, especially, he said, when the individuals involved in crime are often from outside the city.

“There’s people coming from Hayward, San Ramon, Pleasanton, the Central Valley like Stockton, Modesto, to come out here and to cause this kind of mayhem in Oakland,” he said.

He said, he recently met a man that claimed a group of kids were looking for places to graffiti, and the man said he scared them away. He said the man was a local drug dealer, but just like any other Oakland native, he still loves his city and doesn’t want to see the city decline.

A Denny's restaurant is seen covered by graffiti shortly after the location is closed due to safety concerns in Oakland, Calif., on Feb. 10, 2024. (David Zhang/NTD Television)

More action from the city to clean up the streets could help turn things around, he said.

“It seems like it takes so long for the city to clean something up or to get something clear ... or just to get graffiti painted over,” he said.

In October, Black Bear Diner, which is located on the same street as the Denny’s, closed its Oakland location. To the surprise of Mr. Tatum, who recently drove by the location, the closed diner hasn’t been tagged with graffiti.

The famed California burger chain In-N-Out also announced last month it would close its only outlet in Oakland in March after repeated crime and safety issues, with employees and customers falling victim to car break-ins, theft, and armed robberies.

Sugarsweet Bakery, also in Oakland, in business for four years, additionally announced the store was closing Jan. 31, also due to crime.

“Among other things, rampant crime, low foot traffic and decreased sales has made it impossible to carry on,” Founder and Pastry Chef David Benton posted on Instagram.