Albany Park and Irving Park Restaurants Hit in Northwest Side Commercial Burglary Spree

CHICAGO, IL — A highly organized burglary crew struck multiple neighborhood businesses across Chicago's Northwest Side in the early morning hours, leaving local owners with shattered glass and empty registers. Among the victims of this commercial crime wave were Mima's Taste of Cuba, a beloved family-owned Cuban eatery in Irving Park, and Angelo's Wine Bar, a historic Italian establishment in Albany Park.

According to Chicago Police, the string of break-ins occurred on Wednesday morning, with the crew operating with rapid speed. Surveillance footage indicates that around 4:02 a.m., the perpetrators smashed the front glass entrance doors of both Angelo's Wine Bar, located on the 3026 block of West Montrose Avenue, and Mima's Taste of Cuba, situated on the 2900 block of West Irving Park Road. The offenders targeted cash drawers and registers, snatching cash and leaving significant property damage behind in a matter of minutes.

Mima's Taste of Cuba, famed for its authentic Cuban recipes, and Angelo's Wine Bar, which has served the community since 1962, are key pillars of the local culinary scene. Business owners express deep frustration over the costs of physical repairs, which often exceed the cash stolen during such smash-and-grabs. Police believe these incidents are part of a larger pattern targeting commercial corridors on the North and Northwest Sides, where crews exploit quiet early morning hours to target strip malls and corner storefronts.

Area Five detectives are actively investigating the serial break-ins, searching for links between the Northwest Side incidents and similar burglaries in nearby neighborhoods. Business owners are being urged to secure high-quality surveillance footage and consider overnight security measures.