Two men carrying automatic handguns entered Francesca's Italian Grille at 8:28 p.m. Sunday and stole about $1,000 from the cash register, said Frank Casabianca, the restaurant's owner and manager. The men came through the back door of the restaurant.
Casabianca said everyone cooperated with the men. No one was hurt in the incident.
"I did exactly what they said. It was all professionally done," he said.
The suspects ordered employees to lie on the floor, and the two men took cash from both the business and employees, the Durham Police Department confirmed Monday.
Francesca's participates in Duke's Merchants on Points program. Devil's Delivery Service, a student-run company that delivers food, oversees orders that students place for Francesca's cuisine.
Senior Joel Rodriguez, chief executive officer for DDS, did not say if a student employee of DDS was at Francesca's during the robbery.
The restaurant is located at 2530 Erwin Rd.
Casabianca said the area around the restaurant has traditionally been plagued by crime.
"This whole area around Duke is so bad," he said. "Subway got robbed six times in one year."
Subway Restaurant is located just across a parking lot from Francesca's.
Casabianca added that Sunday's incident was the first time Francesca's had been robbed since the restaurant opened nine years ago.
The two suspects are described to be black men, one in his 40s or 50s and the other in his late teens or early 20s, Public Information Officer for DPD Kammie Michael wrote in an e-mail.
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