TEMPLE, Texas (KXXV) — A burglary at Peggy's Coffee House in Temple resulted in thousands of dollars in losses, but the incident sparked overwhelming community support with over 100 people commenting on the shop's Facebook post. Owner Rob Brandenburg says he'll recover from the financial hit and asks supporters to show their help by being customers rather than making donations. The break-in occurred during a year when the Temple Police Department reports burglary rates have dropped 23% compared to last year, from 285 cases to around 237 through October 20.
- Community rallies around local business: Over 100 people flooded Peggy's Coffee House's Facebook post with supportive comments after the burglary, demonstrating strong community bonds.
- Burglary rates declining in Temple: Despite this incident, Temple police report a significant 23% decrease in burglary cases this year (237 cases vs. 285 last year through October 20).
- Owner requests customer support over donations: Rob Brandenburg asks the community to help his recovery by being customers rather than offering monetary donations.
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A recent burglary at Peggy's Coffee House has prompted an outpouring of community support, even as Temple police report a significant decrease in burglary rates this year.
Owner Rob Brandenburg discovered his coffee shop had been broken into, with surveillance footage showing a suspect inside the store stealing what Brandenburg estimates to be a couple thousand dollars worth of items.
"It certainly puts a dent into our operations but it's not going to slow us down since we weren't closed for any amount of time," Brandenburg said.
Despite the financial hit, Brandenburg remains optimistic about his business's recovery.
"I do believe we'll bounce back and I am going to be the one that takes the hit at the end of it all," Brandenburg said.
The break-in occurred during a year when Temple police report burglary rates are actually declining.
Through October 20, the city has seen around 237 burglary cases compared to 285 during the same period last year.
The department also says it saw a 23% decrease in burglaries for the month of September, which police describe as "significant."
The coffee shop's Facebook post about the burglary generated massive community response, with over 100 comments flooding in from supporters.
"The outpouring is how it always is with the community when it comes to Peggy's Coffee House," Brandenburg said. "It's overwhelming, it's incredible and humbling."
For loyal customer Paul Estrada, the crime represents more than just a business loss.
"I think it's pretty crappy that someone works their hardest to achieve something in life just to have some criminal feel it's right to take from other people," Estrada said. "I don't think it's right. Nobody should take from anybody."
Estrada views Peggy's Coffee House as more than just an ordinary business - it's a place where he feels welcome and valued as a customer.
"I'm always going to be a customer of Peggy's and I am going to help them recover in their journey," Estrada said.
Rather than accepting donations, Brandenburg is asking the community to show their support by simply being customers.
"I knew the community would want to offer help so I simply ask that they come be a customer rather than them try to offer donations," Brandenburg said.
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