Three small businesses in Melbourne’s northeast have been dealt a major blow after a thief stole several outdoor tables and chairs in a bizarre overnight raid.
Gotham Donuts, Souva So Good and Cosi Duci Gelateria on Heidelberg Rd, Ivanhoe were targeted just before 2am on Wednesday morning.
CCTV footage shows a man in a ute pulling up on the pavement outside the businesses, and loading nine tables, seven umbrellas and 10m of fake turf into the back of his vehicle.
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The businesses had only recently set up the outdoor seating area in time for the warmer weather, pooling $15,000 to purchase the new furniture and accessories.
Nine tables, seven umbrellas and 10m of fake turf were stolen from an outdoor seating area used by three businesses in Ivanhoe. Credit: Instagram
“My jaw just dropped when I walked in,” Simon Tsalikidis from Gotham Donuts said.
“I thought, ‘where is everything?’.”
A man can be seen on CCTV loading the tables and umbrellas into the back of his ute. Credit: 7NEWSSouva So Good owner John Mihailidis described the incident as ‘brazen’. Credit: 7NEWS
Souva So Good owner John Mihailidis said he was in “disbelief” when he saw what had happened.
“How could someone so brazen come out and do this? We’re on a main road,” he said.
“Nothing was left, I had a couple of broken umbrellas, and they even took the broken ones.”
“We’re a small business, it’s tough just to meet weekly expenses, so this is a major hit.”
The local community has banded together to help the businesses, with other cafe’s offering spare tables and chairs so that they can keep trading in the outdoor space.
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