Lake Forest Restaurant Vandalized, Community Rallies

FOOTHILL RANCH, CA — In 2020, restaurants have had a hard go. When two people vandalized Foothill Ranch's Urban Grill And Wine Bar Thanksgiving night, residents rallied on social media and in-person to show owners and staff how much it means to them.

Two people arrived at the Portola Parkway restaurant to do their worst after what they perceived as a "take-out meal gone wrong," according to reports. The vandals tagged a front window with red spray paint, scrawling a message dripping with hate aimed at a longtime staff member, Kimberly Smith. The vandals used a cement compound to add insult to injury to seal the keyed front doors shut.

Smith called the Orange County Sheriff's Department and filed a report.

As she spoke to investigators at the scene, images of 2020 flooded her mind.

In March, during the first shutdown, Urban Grill and Wine Bar went out of their way to serve their customers. When groceries and sundries were hard to come by, they used their connections to sell not only cooked meals but invented the "Survival Box." Each box included pounds of chicken, ground beef, rice, potatoes, penne pasta, eggs, bananas, bread, and toilet paper that they would deliver to customers.

That was 36 weeks ago. Over eight long months, the restaurant returned to modified indoor dining then back to outside only as Orange County returned to the purple tier of Gov. Gavin Newsom's blueprint for a safer economy. Then, on Thanksgiving weekend, she learned vandals had attacked the business she is buying an interest in.

After seven years in the restaurant industry, Smith understands you can't please everyone.

Last week, a take-out order customer called 24-hours after eating that their meal was "cold." She made them another order as a replacement. Then, things went south. When the customer complained a second time, now swearing at her over the phone, she realized that she had done all she could.

"I was expecting a one-star Yelp review," she said.

The vandalism is not typical for this small community of Foothill Ranch. The perpetrators are "strangers to our community and do not have any affiliation with our staff," she says.

Urban Grill staff agreed that they would not post pictures of the individuals who committed this crime. Their hope, to find peace in knowing they are doing what they should.

The windows are scraped clean of hurtful words. The cement compound ground away from the doors. There was nothing permanently broken beyond repair, Smith says. The community is rallying around them.

"You have done so much for your patrons," Christopher Sullivan wrote on Facebook. "I will never forget how you stood up to the challenge of the quarantine back in March by delivering food all over town. I am glad that you are bigger than this."

According to Becky Visconte-Weiskittel, COVID has brought many individuals to the verge of snapping. She expressed admiration for the restaurant's "positivity," and "the reminder to always be kind resonates."

Still, others are calling for pictures of those responsible, to have them held accountable. More importantly, residents like Charissa K. writes, "I've not eaten here yet, but your response to the hate makes me want to visit soon!"

The restaurant has seen an uptick in take-out orders since their social media message about the incident.

"Forgiveness isn't approving of what happened. It's choosing to rise above it," Smith says.

And rise above it, they are. The management focuses on the business plan and keeping staff employed through another possible coronavirus shutdown.

The pandemic and economic fallout have all but crushed many business owners in California. Urban Grill and Wine Bar is blessed with loyal customers who regularly order take-out, who have recently been allowed back inside, and could soon be relegated to take-out only again if the governor's predictions hold, she says.

"For the moment, we are outdoor dining, and have been for two weeks," she says. "It's not ideal to be reworking our business plan and possibly have to lay off staff right before Christmas."

With longtime Urban Grill and Wine Bar's owners, Dave and Jaylene, away opening a new location, Smith is purchasing shares in the Foothill Ranch store with her business partner, Amanda. "I just got my paperwork to begin the process that week," she says.

Though no arrests have yet been made, Smith is focusing on her customers, her staff, and the support of her fellow owners as they maneuver into the holiday season and attempt to keep the lights on and the staff employed.

"There is not a person out there who isn't hurting right now," she tells Patch. "This is a cry for help."

Have you eaten at Urban Grill and Wine Bar recently? Share your message of support in the comments!