Filipino restaurant, 2 others seek community support after burglary in HiFi

Historic Filipinotown community in Los Angeles rolls out fundraising for Filipino eatery, 2 others hit by burglars | Photo from dollarhits/Instagram

Dollar Hits, a Filipino establishment prominently featured in a Netflix show “Street Food: USA,” has ingrained itself as a cornerstone in the Historic Filipinotown (HiFi) community of Los Angeles, playing a pivotal role in safeguarding the area’s rich Filipino culinary heritage.

The owner, Elvira Chan, affectionately known as Tita Elvie, has been a steadfast presence in the HiFi community for decades, consistently demonstrating an unwavering commitment to community service, as highlighted by the non-profit organization SoCal Filipinos.

But in a devastating turn of events, the Filipino restaurant, along with fellow establishments LA Beauty and Mom’s Bakeshop, fell victim to a brazen burglary on Dec. 11 at their location in the 240 block of N. Carondelet Street.

Chan shared her distress with CBS News, lamenting, “Everything taken and my cash register and the other cash register—all gone.”

In response to this unfortunate incident, the community has rallied together to support the three family-owned businesses through a GoFundMe campaign to raise $25,000.

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Jennifer Taylor, a close friend of Chan, spearheaded the campaign to alleviate the financial strain imposed by the burglary, aiming to assist Tita Elvie and the rest of the victims in their efforts to recover.

The campaign organizers are committed to collecting funds and ensuring their equitable distribution among the affected business owners. The overarching goal is to provide much-needed assistance for repair or replacement expenses, institute preventive security measures, and extend support during the holiday season.

As of writing, $8,539 has already been raised in support.

According to the reports shared by the American news website, the suspects shattered the front glass doors of the three businesses, leaving the owners and the community in shock.