Car ploughs through Moon Dog Wild West brewery in Footscray
A car has been rammed through the front doors of Moon Dog brewery in Footscray in a fresh dose of trouble for the new business housed in the former Franco Cozzo building.
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A car has smashed through the front doors of the Moon Dog brewery in Footscray in a fresh dose of trouble for the business, which has taken over the former Franco Cozzo building.
The brewery and restaurant was left significantly damaged after a car smashed into the dining area during a burglary at the popular venue on early Tuesday morning.
Police said officers were told a car had been driven through the brewery’s front doors about 1.20am.
CCTV footage reveals what was reportedly a stolen Mazda mounting the kerb before the car accelerates and ploughs through the glass doors.
A man then calmly steps out of the car before grabbing a small neon sign off the wall and holding it up to the camera.
He then waves at the camera before “running off down the street”.
Moon Dog Brewery co-owner Karl van Buuren said he received a call about 2am, alerting him to the break-in.
“Getting a phone call from the crew at 2am is never a good thing,” he told media on Tuesday.
“I find it really hard to understand, I’m unable to kind of justify the action of someone who does something really dangerous like this.”
“Glass can be replaced, doors can be fixed but if anyone had have gotten hurt that would have been an absolute disaster.”
Mr van Buuren said it would have been “very scary” for cleaning crews who were working upstairs, “especially considering they would have heard a crash, the car make squealing noises and crashing through the furniture”.
He said the theft seemed to be a well “thought out” plan, with the offender only stealing the one neon sign, picturing a dog wearing a cowboy hat.
“It’s an odd thing to steal, maybe it’s a keepsake,” he said.
The co-founder said the act is “certainly not a blight on the area” and the company views it as an “isolated incident”.
It will be “business as usual” for the venue, as they prepare to open to customers on Tuesday afternoon.
Mr van Buuren said he hoped community members would see this as an opportunity to continue to support the business.
He said the venue would be “upping” their security measures following the incident.
The front facade remained boarded up on Tuesday morning.
Mr van Buuren said cleaners were inside the building at the time of the incident but no one was injured.
“They were upstairs and luckily no one was hurt,” Mr van Buuren told ABC Radio.
He said the offender got out of the car and took a “western-themed neon sign” before fleeing.
The burglary is the latest trouble to hit the venue.
The site was last month vandalised with the message “Go back to Fitzroy” spray painted across its front window.
Its grand opening was also delayed and guests sent home after an issue over a fire hydrant which sparked a war of words between the owners and Maribyrnong Council
Investigations into the burglary remain ongoing.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
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