Restaurant's food truck smashed for 3rd time this year

The manager of a Richmond Row restaurant is speaking out after the company's food truck was damaged in a break-in on Wednesday, the third time it's happened this year.

"Our windows were smashed, the glass was all over.All of our food supplies and cameras were stolen," said MaggiePinnamaraju.

Pinnamarajumanages Mingle by Mr. & Mrs. Bao, an Asian fusion restaurant located beside Jack's Pub at 551 Richmond St.The restaurant is owned by Steven Bao and Julia Houbut the business started in 2017 as a food truck which continues to operate under the same name and remains a crucial part of the business.

Staff arrived to work on Thursday to find the truck had been broken into, its padlock cut, the sidewindow smashed and the dashcam stolen,Pinnamarajusaid.

The truck was parked in the restaurant's spotnear the back door.

There was no cash inside the van. Some pop was taken, but the main issue is the vehicle damage.Pinnamarajusaid it's expensive to repair because the glass has to be custom ordered.

It also takes the vehicle off the road, which means it's not earning revenue and will have to miss some bookings for special events.

"The truck is our main source of income," saidPinnamaraju. "For us it's very important to keep it operating, especially when we have committed to events like weddings or events at Western campus."

The break-ins have all been reported to police andPinnamarajusaid the owners understand it's the kind of crime police aren't always able to investigate.

However, she said because small businesses operate with such tight profit margins, repeated problems with theft and break-ins can become a threat to the business's livelihood.

"Each time we have a break-in, it's an unexpected cost," she said. "It affects the whole cycle of the business and it's very hard for a small business to gain that money back. And it's happening more frequently."

The business had to deal with repeated break-ins before at its previous location on Wharncliffe Road North.

It isn't the only downtown London business to deal with vandalism, theft and other crimes. A London gutter contractor had two trailers stolen in the space of a few months. Grace restaurant onDundasStreethas had to replace broken windows.

The business, like others on Richmond Row and in the downtown core, has also had to contend with people who appear to be burdened with mental health and addiction issues coming inside the store. In one case, chairs were thrown around,raising safety concerns.

Some of the issues challenging the business fall into the nuisance category.

Up until this week, theowners had a plastic polar bear near the cash register. It was taken by a customer caught on camera. It's the third time it's happened. On one previous occasion it was left outside the store with a "we're sorry" note attached.

The security camera footage of this week's theft showsa young man picking up the polar bear and carrying it out of the store while employees are busy filling an order.

While it may seem like a prank the restaurant operates during the evening when many students are partying on Richmond Row Pinnamarajusaid the polar bear is special to the employees becauseitwas a gift from Bao to Hou.

"We're hoping to get it back," she said. "We don't want to get the students in trouble, we're just using our social media platform to say that we want the bear back."

In the meantime,Pinnamarajuencourages Londoners to support small businesses in the downtown core with an understanding of some of the challenges they face. The restaurant works to make connections in the community with events such asdumpling-making workshops, offering rainbow dumplings at Halloween to those who show up in costumesand by hosting adrag night.

"We are all in this together no matter what, we want a better community," she said.