Break-in at Vitalia’s at Cairns’ Pier leaves owners feeling ‘unsafe and disheartened’ as CBD crime rises

A break-in at a popular Cairns restaurant has business owners concerned over the rise in crime rates for the CBD, with a well-known chef giving a warning for other small businesses to be ‘on your guard’. FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED

A BREAK-IN at popular Cairns eatery Vitalia’s has left the owners feeling “unsafe and disheartened” by the rise in the CBD-based crime of the Far North.

Owners of Vitalia’s, Antonio Lo Conte and Vitalia Zanda, are away on a European holiday following chef Vitalia’s latest round of chemotherapy but woke on Friday to news of a break-in and robbery at their restaurant location on the Pier.

“This has never happened to us before since we’ve been in Australia, we’re very sad to see something like this happen,” Mr Lo Conte said.

“We’re feeling very unsafe at the moment. Even with the Pier security, nobody noticed this break-in until our staff went to open the restaurant at 10am.

“We used to leave the doors unlocked but the rise in crime around Cairns has become a very concerning situation and we want other businesses to be on their guard, even with security and police presence.”

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Supervisor and acting manager in charge Marilena Biancaterra said she received a call from the pizza chef at 10am on Friday morning telling her someone had broken in.

“They managed to get by pushing on our glass folding doors, the last panel wasn’t very secure,” she said.

“There wasn’t any damage to the restaurant but they stole about $500 from the float and the tips we share between our staff, as well as a couple bottles of wine.

“Looking at the security footage, the break-in happened around 4am. We’re praying this is a one-off.”

Originally published as Break-in at Vitalia’s at Cairns’ Pier leaves owners feeling ‘unsafe and disheartened’ as CBD crime rises