Staff traumatised after popular Craigieburn burger shack was terrorised by machete-wielding thief

A popular burger joint in Melbourne’s north has been targeted by a machete-wielding thief, leaving staff traumatised.

Terrified staff have been left too fearful to return to work after a machete-wielding thief held up a popular burger shack in Melbourne’s north.

A masked attacker, dressed in all black while brandishing a long blade, threatened a young woman working behind the counter at Burger Road in Craigieburn on Monday night, demanding she hand over the cash.

Footage obtained by the Herald Sun shows the assailant waving the machete at the woman just after 11.15pm.

The woman behind the counter then rushes to the back of the restaurant to alert the store’s owner Ishu Wadhawan, while a second worker screams as she rushes to lock the main entrance.

Burger Road restaurant in Craigieburn was held up by a machete-wielding robber. Picture: Victoria Police

A customer who was dining inside had left the restaurant just moments earlier.

No one else was inside when the attacker walked in, but it is understood another offender was standing guard outside during the ordeal.

Mr Wadhawan told the Herald Sun many of his young workers were female, and feared that was why they were targeted during the terrifying ordeal.

“A customer walked out at 11.15, we were very busy that night, and then the guy walked in a minute after that with a machete and yelled at my young worker to “give me all the money”,” he said.

“Mostly female staff work there and so they (offenders) might have seen only two girls working and that’s why they became a possibly easy target for them.

“There was a young guy with a big machete threatening two girls. They are in big shock.

They don’t feel like they are safe in this place anymore.

“What if he comes back again? What if they did something to make him upset? Maybe he will follow me or follow these girls, I don’t know.”

Mr Wadhawan said he had spent all of Thursday making arrangements to beef up security at his Highlander Drive establishment because his staff now felt scared at work.

Additional measures will include a remote-controlled sliding door that would allow workers to lock the entrance from some distance away and more closely monitoring some customers who enter the venue.

Burger Road restaurant in Craigieburn was held up by a machete-wielding robber. Picture: Victoria Police

“That is the number one priority right now. I’m having meetings with my staff,” Mr Wadhawan said.

“These staff are really young and aren’t supposed to be exposed to this kind of situation, and then some guy with a big knife is just standing a metre away.

“I’m really proud of them, the way they handled the situation. They gave him all the money, whatever he asked for, they did it in the right manner.”

Mr Wadhawan said Monday’s incident was just the latest in a string of dangerous hold-ups and robberies at businesses across the city.

“You don’t feel safe now especially in Melbourne. Everyday, we watch this news and it feels like the amount of crime is increasing. Some of these teenagers are out of control,” he said.

“Some teenagers in this area seem to be getting into this stuff and it’s not right.

“I feel sorry for the police, because those guys work so hard to catch them and then they are bailed.

“We need stricter rules.”

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the thief ran away from the restaurant with about $1000 in cash.

No-one was injured during the incident.

Police are investigating the hold-up.

Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.