Thieves broke into Hyams Beach Store and Cafe, stole cash, and doused the place in vegetable oil to cover their tracks overnight on Monday.
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Owner Phoebe Alison was forced to close the business for a day during peak season to clean up the mess on Tuesday.
“It was a bit of a kick in the guts,” she said.
“They covered everything in oil, the floor’s still slippery.”
In the 25 years Phoebe’s family has owned the cafe and corner store, they have never experienced a serious robbery.
“We’ve had kids try to break in, but this looked professional,” Phoebe said.
“It’s a big shock, it’s not a nice feeling.”
Thieves damaged the safe in an attempt to access it, however, they were unsuccessful.
Phoebe said her customers had been incredibly supportive in light of the robbery.
Police have launched an investigation, but there have been no leads at this stage.