At Café 86 in Arcadia, owners Elaine and Andrew Linga say the burglary has shaken their sense of safety.
"I don't feel safe anymore," Elaine Linga said. "How can this happen? I lost my sense of security."
The couple said it took just 35 seconds for thieves to cause damage and disrupt their business. Surveillance cameras show at least three suspects smashing through the café's front door early Wednesday morning before heading straight for the cash register.
Video shows one suspect yanking the register off the counter while another searches the back of the shop.
Although little money was taken, Andrew Linga said the cost of repairs is significant.
"That's how much we almost make a day, so there goes one day of how much could go towards improving the business," he said, referring to the roughly $1,000 needed to replace the broken glass door.
The Lingas said they later learned they were not the only business targeted.
"As they're leaving, they saw the Fatburger and they got back out and they just did whatever they did over there and stole apparently their register as well," Andrew Linga said.
Customers also alerted Café 86 to a social media post from Fika Fika, another Arcadia coffee shop, which shared surveillance footage appearing to show a similar break-in Wednesday morning.
Based on those similarities, the Lingas believe the same suspects may be responsible for multiple incidents in the area.
In response, some businesses are taking extra precautions, including limiting or eliminating cash transactions to reduce the risk of becoming targets. However, that has presented challenges for customers.
"Very sad that we had to do that and turn some customers away because some of them could only pay cash," Andrew Linga said.
Elaine Linga said the change could disproportionately affect certain groups.
"Most of our customers are students, kids without credit cards, and also seniors who do not know how to pay. I don't want to isolate them," she said.
Police from Los Angeles and Arcadia are working together to determine whether the break-ins are linked.
Authorities are urging other businesses that believe they may have been targeted to report incidents immediately.