Sunderland Cafe Owner Incurs Costs Following Break-in Six Weeks After Opening

The proprietor of a cafe is assessing the financial repercussions after burglars forcibly entered the establishment just six weeks following its inauguration. Grinder Coffee Co in Sunderland was targeted in a break-in on Saturday afternoon, according to owner Riki Tsang. “They rifled through all of our drawers, smashed things along the way,” he stated. “It was a real shock.” Northumbria Police confirmed an investigation is underway. Mr Tsang mentioned that the cafe had only reopened a few weeks prior, having relocated to a larger premises on New Durham Road. The original shop had been operating on the same road since 2019. The incident occurred around 17:30 GMT on Saturday, Mr Tsang reported, less than two hours after the shop had closed for the day. He characterized it as a “breach of privacy,” adding, “It just feels quite violating.” Mr Tsang indicated that the intruders managed to abscond with “relatively little goods,” but the damage they inflicted resulted in an estimated £1,000 worth of repairs. “They don’t realise the impact that it has,” he commented. He noted that his team had been “inundated” with supportive messages after sharing news of the break-in on social media. The cafe has since been equipped with additional security measures. “Thankfully we were able to get back up and running very quickly,” Mr Tsang said.