Briki cafe: Melbourne cafe owner Simon Kandias finds threatening note, brick through window

A cafe owner in Melbourne was bewildered to discover a chilling note taped to his eatery and a “massive” brick thrown through its window.

A cafe owner in Melbourne was left bewildered after finding an ominous note bearing a death threat left at his business.

Symeon Kandias also found a brick thrown through the window of his eatery, Thornbury‘s Briki Cafe on Hutton Street. The perpetrators left a note taped to the door.

“Do what Dan Andrews says and we will burn your shop down and kill you,” it read.

“The main window was all shattered, and there’s a massive, massive brick inside,” Mr Kandias told 3AW radio.

“The entrance door was all smashed up as well, and they left a lovely threatening note on the door, just to say what it’s all about.

“They basically said, ‘If you continue to support and follow Daniel Andrews, we’re going to burn your cafe down and we’re going to kill you.’”

The cafe owner said he was “not extreme either way” politically and had just followed the government’s Covid restrictions, which say customers must be fully vaccinated.

“I’m just following the rules,” he said.

“I’m just doing what I’m expected to do and keeping everyone safe.

“I don’t know what to do. I’m going to have to ask for a bit of assistance from the police.”

Briki cafe in Thornbury was targeted by opponents of Dan Andrews.

The cafe owner was startled to find a threatening note left at his business. Picture: Channel 9

Mr Kandias told Channel 9 he “freaked out” after discovering the note.

“Was it just a threat? Will they follow through? Are there people coming tonight to finish the job?” he wondered.

Mr Kandias reiterated that he was shocked to be targeted, claiming to have never made a political statement and merely conducts his business in accordance with the law.

“We don‘t make the rules we just follow them, so it’s a shame to take it out on a small business,” she said.

According to Channel 9, a man was filmed on CCTV taking a brick to two other Thornbury hospitality businesses on Sunday night.

The restaurants GRK Greek Kitchen and Bar and the Thornbury Taphouse were targeted.

GRK Kitchen and Bar’s Effie Stratkis said local businesses were just following the rules and should not be the target of attacks from the public.

“We don‘t make the rules we just follow them, so it’s a shame to take it out on a small business,” she said.

Speaking about the incidents today, Victoria’s Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allen said the culprits’ behaviour was “just not on”.

“Resorting to violence and threats of violence simply because you are doing the right thing to protect yourself, your family, your customers, the community, that is simply unacceptable,” the Minister said.

“We have seen far too many examples of people threatening violence simply because people are making the choice to do the right thing.”

Victoria Police are investigating.