Vietnamese restaurant owner devastated by break-in

Iris Nguyen estimates the break-in cost her £100,000 in lost earnings and damage

A restaurant owner says she has been left devastated after having to close part of the building following a break-in.

Masked thieves were caught on CCTV smashing their way into Viet80s, a Vietnamese restaurant and cafe in Friar Lane, Nottingham, in the early hours of 5 August.

Iris Nguyen said she was £100,000 out of pocket after the break-in and had been forced to put her plans of extending the business on hold.

She said recent unrest in the city and across the country had added even more pressure.

The 34-year-old, who lives near the venue, said she heard the alarm go off and checked the CCTV to see what had happened.

The footage showed three men arriving at the restaurant on bicycles, before smashing the front door of the cafe, located next to the restaurant.

They damaged a fridge before leaving with a coffee machine, cash and electronic devices.

Ms Nguyen said: "I feel in danger - we were shocked and still worry about the situation."

The owner said she called Nottinghamshire Police, who were deployed to the scene before being diverted to a more serious incident.

The force said it spoke to the owner later that morning but the business "no longer wished to pursue the matter".

Ms Nguyen said she was upset by the response, adding: "I called the police and nobody showed up. They have not come back to the restaurant since."

A Nottinghamshire Police spokesperson said: “We treat all reports of burglary seriously and will continue to be guided by victims when carrying out enquiries into all forms of criminality.”

The cafe's door was smashed during the break-in, the owner said

Viet80s opened as a restaurant in 2018, but expanded its business with a cafe which also serves Vietnamese street food.

Plans for further expansion included new venues in Beeston and Bulwell but these plan have now been put on hold, Ms Nguyen added, and the cafe is closed.

"After the break-in, we had to close part of the cafe for a month. I know our customers feel upset about what happened and share the loss with us," she said.

The break-in came shortly after disorder in the city following demonstrations but is not thought to be linked.

However, Ms Nguyen, who is originally from Vietnam, said the recent violence and break-in had made her feel "fearful".

She said: "We moved here from London and when we first arrived, Nottingham was a peaceful city but it's scary now."

The demonstrations in Nottingham saw chanting from some far-right and anti-fascist protesters

Henry Nguyen, a barista at the cafe, said he had lost work as a result of the break-in.

"We need to make a living," the 25-year-old said. "As foreign people coming to Nottingham, we work especially hard to stay here.

"I have lost around four to five shifts per week after what's happened."

He also voiced concerns about the recent disorder in Nottingham, which saw eight people charged with a range of different offences.

One of them - Victoria Gray - was given a suspended sentence while the other suspects are due in court later this month.

"With protests going on at the moment, me and my friends feel afraid to go outside," Mr Nguyen added.

"It's sad because we take pride in bringing our authentic Vietnamese culture to Nottingham.

"We love Nottingham, and are upset this is happening to businesses across the country."

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