Burglars trash Soul Food Cafe and Teahouse after kicking down door, throwing eggs and eating brownies

A Geraldton cafe was forced to close on Monday after the owner discovered it had been broken into and ransacked on Sunday night. Soul Food Cafe and Teahouse owner Pia Richardson shared the news with the cafe’s followers on social media. It’s believed the break-in happened about 8pm on Sunday, and the culprits rammed down the cafe’s doors with scooters. Eggs and other food had been thrown around the premises, she said. “Another door gone,” Ms Richardson said. “Honestly, it’s hard enough running a small business without having to deal with vandalism and theft.” Ms Richardson said the business would have lost about $1000, accounting for the damage, missing stock, and reduced trading hours. The owner, who is known for supporting the city’s homeless population by offering those in need a bite to eat when possible, said it was a hard pill to swallow when it was already tough for small businesses to maintain profit, but she was staying positive. “All in all, we’ve been really lucky,” Ms Richardson said. “It’s been two years since our last break-in. “It could be a lot worse, but it’s disheartening. “These people don’t really care about if they get caught.” On Monday morning, Cindy Richards posted to Facebook expressing her frustration the family-run business had been ransacked. “How dare you,” she said. “You have no idea the impact this has had, not just on the owners but the staff as well.” She said the cafe prided itself on being a cosy and supportive space for anyone from any walk of life, and the burglars had trashed the place, throwing around food and eating brownies. “You didn’t just steal, you decided to make a mess and destroy food, for what? Why? Your own amusement? Why throw eggs and grapes around?” she wrote. Soul Cafe remained closed on Monday morning as Geraldton police investigated and undertook a forensic examination. Geraldton Police officer in charge Sen. Sgt Chris Martin said those responsible appeared to have kicked in the door, and once inside found the key to the cash register, stealing about $300, and threw food and drinks inside and outside the cafe. He asked for anyone who might have seen the offenders or has relevant CCTV or dashcam footage to contact police.