Oakland Vietnamese restaurant Le Cheval has been doing business at Clay and Tenth streets since 1985, but will shutter permanently on September 30, with the owner blaming crime for the shutdown.

A 38-year-old, family-owned and operated Vietnamese restaurant in Oakland is saying that it’s the latest victim of the current East Bay crime surge. KTVU reports that Le Cheval, at Clay and Tenth streets, is closing permanently at the end of the month, with owner Son Tran blaming crime for the closure.

“After 38 years, Le Cheval in Downtown Oakland is closing its doors.” the restaurant said in a Saturday Facebook post. “Thank you for your support and (we) will be looking for ANOTHER location to continue to serve you their famous dishes!"

That all sounds very diplomatic, but Tran was much more pointed in a KPIX interview. "The lack of office workers did not kill us. The crime, the criminals killed us," Tran told that station, adding that crime has been deterring customers from coming to Le Cheval. "Even right in front of the restaurant, their car is still broken into. And they're really mad. And they told me 'Son, I love your restaurant. I love your food. I love your family, but I cannot come back to Oakland. A $30 meal becomes $500 something."

Tran also told KPIX that Le Cheval’s business was only at 25% of its pre-pandemic volume.

The Chronicle points out that there was one reported burglary at that business address in the past year, and that Le Cheval had also previously opened Walnut Creek and Berkeley locations, both of which have also closed.

Le Cheval’s last day in business in Oakland will be Saturday, September 30.

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Image: Andrew D. via Yelp