Cafe Tapas and Flavours on Esplanade broken into

Two cafes are cleaning up again this week - one for the seventh time in six months - after smash and grab thieves struck in the early hours of the morning, costing the businesses thousands of dollars.

Flavours on Esplanade and Cafe Tapas were ransacked early Wendesday morning.

Two Torquay restaurants repeatedly targeted by criminals were once again ransacked on Wednesday morning.

Cafe Tapas and Flavours on The Esplanade both suffered extensive damage to their properties as their front windows were shattered by the intruders.

Cafe Tapas manager Mimi Phonseya said the window would cost $5000 to fix.

Mrs Phonseya said “it is not safe” to work on the Esplanade given how often businesses are being targeted, with Cafe Tapas hit “seven times in the past six months”.

The cost of each break-in was “thousands of dollars,” with Wednesday’s costing more than $2000 in damages in $500 in stolen alcohol, she said.

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Flavours on Esplanade and Cafe Tapas windows were boarded up on Thursday morning after both cafe were broken into on Wednesday.

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The reaction of Facebook users when Flavours of Esplanade posted photos of the incident with the caption, “Literally broke my heart this time” was furious.

Dale Paxton said, “this is beyond a joke now”.

Kylie Taylor said, “I am so sorry this happened, what is happening in our community”.

Noel Peinke said “So sad to see this. We will be back as soon as you reopen”.

According to the mypolice Qld database, more than 9620 criminal offences have been committed on the Fraser Coast in the past year, with 2570 cases of theft making it the most prevalent.

Police are investigating.