'Toxic things': Restaurant owner fed up after graffiti found on storefront
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Days before his brand new restaurant was set to open, an area chef and restauranteur said he discovered graffiti on the property and he's fed up.
In an interview this week with the station, he said it's an added expense of time and money to make everything right again.
James Vu said his hopes for the holiday were dashed when he discovered ugly messages scribbled all over his brand new restaurant.
"I came in Christmas morning to the restaurant to get it ready, only to see graffiti all over," said La Brasa Executive Chef and Restauranteur James Vu.
"People writing toxic things on here...it makes people not want to come over here," he added.
Yours Truly, the newest concept from the La Brasa Group will debut on New Year's Eve.
"It's frustrating you know, you put a lot of time and effort trying to enrich this area and the community provide goods and services for the customers and then you have to deal with minor setbacks like this," said Vu.
Shameka Lee, Action Center Manager for The City of Oklahoma City, agreed, adding that graffiti not only damages property but comes at a cost to business owners and the city.
"It's a blight to our city, its devalues the property, it's just an eyesore. So we're pretty vigilant about taking care of those issues," said Lee, who helps monitor common code violations in the city.
City of OKC Common Code Violations
James rolled up his sleeves and will be ringing in the new year with freshly washed windows and walls, but while property damage like graffiti is against the law, business owners are often left with the burden of cleaning it up, according to city ordinances.
However, there's a solution through a partnership with Oklahoma County for a volunteer program called SHINE, according to Lee.
"Property owners are responsible for maintaining the exterior appearance of their property. However, if they are targeted or tagged, they can contact Shine with the county commissioner's office or my office and we'll get it in. And with permission. The SHINE program will remove all graffiti at no cost to the property owner," she said.
According to the organization's website, SHINE has partnered with local police to remove graffiti from both public areas and private property.
Non-emergency code violations or other city issues can be reported to the City of OKC's Action Center; Oklahoma City says it's a one stop shop for help.