Robber forces employees into restaurant cooler

Rolling Meadows Police are looking for a man who forced his way into a Potbelly restaurant Sunday night while putting a knife to an employee’s neck before clearing out a safe.

Claudia Sanchez, an assistant manager at the restaurant at 1402 Golf Road, said a female employee was walking out of a side door at about 9:30 p.m. when a masked man put a knife to her neck.

Sanchez said a male employee was about to set the alarm as his co-worker was walking out the side-door when he heard a noise.

“He heard the girl, who had a shake. She dropped the shake,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez said it was then that the male employee saw the robber with his co-worker.

“He put a knife on her neck and said he wanted money,” Sanchez said.

The suspect, who was described as a 5-foot-11 black man with a thin build, was wearing all black clothing, a black ski mask and gloves, according to police.

Once inside, the suspect ordered both employees into the restaurant’s cooler and told them to stay put while he waited the nine minutes it takes to open the safe, Sanchez said.

By the time the time the employees felt it was safe to come out about 15 or 20 minutes later, the man was gone with the contents of the safe, she said.

Police said they are still trying to determine how much money was taken from the restaurant.

Sanchez said the employees were not locked in the cooler, but stayed inside long enough until they were sure the suspect had left.

The break-in occurred about a half-hour after the restaurant had closed, and police think the offender acted alone.

Neither employee was injured during the holdup.