The Draft Horse, a Northeast Minneapolis restaurant, was burglarized early Friday morning, the latest in a string of eatery break-ins recently in the Twin Cities.

The front door of the restaurant, which is located in the Food Building in the 100 block of 14th Avenue NE., was smashed. The cash drawer, which had been empty, was taken. "That will be a fun surprise when they bust it open," co-owner Anne Saxton wrote in an e-mail to media Friday.

As is typical in the restaurant industry, Draft Horse management clears out the cash drawer every night.

Two other Twin Cities restaurants recently were targeted. Three burglars broke into Brasa Premium Rotisserie's St. Paul location in October, and were apprehended after slipping on the slick floor while trying to run from police. The burglars smashed a window and attempted to steal a safe, according to police.

Revival owner Nick Rancone confirmed New Year's Eve disturbances at both of his restaurant's locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul, though the Minneapolis restaurant's incident wasn't considered a burglary, according to Minneapolis police. The Nicollet Avenue window was smashed by a chair thrown during a domestic disturbance, a Minneapolis Police Department spokeswoman said.

"I did not find any pattern of burglaries, no M.O. of any sort for restaurants," said Sgt. Catherine Michal.

Burglars smashed a door at the Draft Horse in Minneapolis.

Saxton, however, wanted to warn the wider restaurant community of a potential restaurant burglary spree.

In the future, she said, Draft Horse staff will leave the cash drawer open after hours so potential burglars peering through the windows will see it's empty.

"You would hope they'd realize, there's really nothing of value in those places."

It's too early for her to estimate the cost of the damage to the door and the point-of-sale system.

Sharyn Jackson • 612-673-4853