Howl at the Moon owner Lou Cerantonio says break-in of Surfers Paradise bar funniest thing ever

THE owner of a Gold Coast bar has no ill-will toward a man who smashed his way through a door after-hours, saying the hilarious CCTV footage “made my morning”.

THE owner of a Gold Coast bar has no ill-will toward a man who smashed his way through a door after-hours, saying the hilarious CCTV footage “made my morning”.

Howl at the Moon co-owner Lou Cerantonio said the security video of the man hurling a container through a glass door and awkwardly climbing through the hole left him and police “rolling around on the floor in laughter”.

As the man finally gets through the hole and inside Howl, the door suddenly pops open anyway.

Mr Cerantonio said the comedic break-in of his Surfers Paradise riverfront venue became even funnier when the man found his way to the unstaffed bar and stood there seemingly expecting to be served.

A man captured on CCTV allegedly breaking into Howl at the Moon in Surfers Paradise. Photo: Supplied.

The venue was closed at the time and when no service was offered the man — casually smoking a cigarette the whole time — left without taking anything.

Mr Cerantonio, who co-owns Howl with Mario Zulli, said in 25 years of hospitality he had never seen anything like it.

“He broke the door lock and so it opened anyway. He didn’t actually have to crawl through it.

“I was quite peeved off initially because I had to get up and go to the bar at the time but when I saw the footage it made my morning,” he said.

“It was the funniest thing. There was no intent of doing anything harmful other than the barrel going through the door. It was almost of innocence.

“The poor bugger just wanted a drink,” Mr Cerantonio said laughing.

Howl at Moon owners Lou Cerantonio and Mario Zulli. Picture: Scott Fletcher

Mr Cerantonio said the alleged perpetrator, a 41-year-old Redbank Plains man who handed himself into police on Friday morning, had offered to pay for any damage.

The broken door would cost about $1000 to repair.

Mr Cerantonio said he wasn’t interested in pressing charges but police confirmed the man — who was wearing a conspicuous Brisbane Bears Fitzroy Football Club supporters top — is scheduled to appear in Ipswich Magistrates Court on August 26.

A police spokesman said the man had been charged with entering a premises with intent.