Frustrated café owner slams 'disappointing' act caught on CCTV
The brazen thief was caught on camera stealing 18 bottles of milk from outside the establishment.
A chef and restaurant owner has shared his frustration after a brazen thief stole delivered items from outside the venue hours before it was due to open.
But it's not the first time staff at August the Old Place café, in the affluent Sydney suburb of Mosman, have been targeted, with head chef and owner Moon saying it's becoming a regular occurrence in the area.
The brazen act occurred at roughly 3.25 on Monday morning, shortly after a delivery of milk was made. Footage shared with Yahoo shows four crates of full cream dairy on the pavement outside the popular eatery before a hooded figure suddenly appears.
The unknown person, believed to be a woman and wearing a black zip-up hoodie, is seen approaching the dairy delivery before walking off with two of the four stacked crates. Less than a minute later she returns, appearing to look around.
Moon suggested she was likely looking for fresh produce and told Yahoo News Australia it's happened a few times with baked goods and even newspapers disappearing before staff arrive.
"In the past few months, we have had our bread delivery stolen, and sometimes our fresh muffins go missing in the hours before the café opens," he told the Mosman Collective.
"But what are you going to do with 18 bottles of milk with an expiry date?" he said to Yahoo.
Other businesses warned of growing trend
Moon said the rising cost of living could be to blame, with struggling Aussies now finding new ways to make ends meet. But he also thought it could be "a rival cafe" saying "18 bottles of milk is quite a big quantity for a small cafe".
While he says the loss of $60 "won't affect business operations" he is concerned by the rise in thefts in the area.
"We just make sure be careful and warm to other business," he said. "We are located main road, can you imagine small corner or back lane cafes? They'll have more problems than us."
Residents in the area labelled the move "disappointing" and "so sad".
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Alarming rise in theft
The latest data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research shows there's an "upward trend" in retail theft. This includes supermarkets, licensed premises and food retailers among others. Food and beverage theft has increased 13.6 per cent over five years ending July 2023, with the rising cost of living likely contributing.
Australian supermarkets are also experiencing a surge in shoplifting. To help combat theft, Coles and Woolworths have introduced a range of anti-theft technology to deter shoppers from shoplifting, such as smart gates and trolley-locking technology — some of which are loathed by frustrated shoppers.
There have also been reports of food deliveries being stolen from homes across the country. Several HelloFresh customers have pleaded with locals to "please stop stealing my" food after a string of food delivery thefts, mostly in Sydney.
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