SEATTLE — On a Wednesday night at Admiral Pub in West Seattle, it’s business as usual. That’s how the owner wants it to be despite dealing with the damage a burglar left behind almost a week ago.
“It’s not even about the things that were taken; it’s about the damage that was done to repair everything,” Billy Conwell, one of the owners, said. “It’s going to cost upwards of $7,000 to 8,000.”
Surveillance video shows a man breaking into the business around 5 a.m. on March 1. Conwell said they don’t keep money in the business overnight, but the burglar didn’t know that. He pried open the change machine and stole some expensive liquor. Conwell said what happened next was surprising.
“He heard a beeping and I think he thought it was a security alarm, so instead of going out the front door that he broke to get inside, he kicked down the back door,” Conwell said.
However, a silver lining from this break-in reminds Conwell of what he’s known for a few years.
“Ever since we bought this bar in 2019, this community has been so incredibly supportive and wonderful to us,” Conwell said.
Since the break-in, customers have donated more than $3,500 to go toward the bar’s expenses through a GoFundMe. They’ve also shown up at the bar to support them directly. A trivia fundraiser was held on Tuesday and another one is planned for Thursday.
“They’ve been a great part of this community and they’re so welcoming,” Court Weston, a friend and customer, said. “I drove up from Tacoma. I know people who come up from Olympia just to help them out. I just want them to see the support they’ve earned in this community.”
“To see people care about us, it’s a beautiful feeling,” Conwell said.