Locals have rallied to support a much-loved cafe owner after his premises were vandalized with a “disgusting” three-word message on one of the walls.
Mandeep ‘Sunny’ Singh, 25, discovered one of his 4 Knots cafes had been vandalized on Sunday morning in Collaroy on Sydney’s northern beaches.
The vandal left stenciled images of cockroaches all over the cafe’s side wall with a hateful message.
“Cockroach coffee,” he said.
Residents of the quiet Northern Beaches were upset by the message left for the small business owner and shared their support for Mr Singh on Facebook.
Singh told Daily Mail Australia he was not actively fighting with anyone in the community; had received no advance complaints from customers about health, noise or regulatory issues.
A barrage of jokes has left him baffled, but he believes one person simply doesn’t want him on Collaroy.
‘What is all this about? It’s racism. In the best country in the world… the most multicultural country,’ he said.
Locals have rallied to support a much-loved cafe owner after his premises were vandalized with a “disgusting” three-word message on one of the walls.
Vandal left stenciled images of cockroaches all over the cafe’s side wall with a hateful message
Singh revealed that it is just one of several acts carried out by vandals at his cafe.
One morning, he arrived to find that he and his staff had been left with a bag of rotting prawns. Another morning dog droppings were discovered at the café door.
They then robbed an open-air bank on the side of the building.
According to Singh, rangers have repeatedly traveled to the cafe to inform the council that no crime had been committed due to random “tips”.
A much-loved but faded shop called Cherry Blossom previously inhabited the building on Pittwater Road and had to be sold.
Singh, who is also a Northern Beaches councillor, gave it a facelift and opened just 15 weeks ago.
He said he received more than 20 calls from people he didn’t know in the area offering to bring paint or funds to repair the paint job after sharing images of the damage.
‘I said no, I can do it myself, but I want to show people that this is happening to me. It’s happening constantly,’ he said.
‘They’re saying they’re sorry. But it’s not just my business. It can also happen to any other business.”
“It’s a question of respect here.”
Singh has been an active investor in Northern Beaches businesses and found a place in the local council district when he was the only Liberal member to put forward his ticket during the late nomination saga that cost him the party across Sydney.
‘I’m just asking for justice for myself and against racism in Australia. Our country is the best and better than that,’ he said.
“I want to make my two children feel: ‘this is your home, you are going to live here, you are going to respect this country.'”
“This country has given us everything.”
Mr. Singh’s community lashed out at the mysterious vandal.
‘This cafe has the best food and the best staff! This type of behavior is not acceptable,” one local wrote online.
Singh shared images of the discovery on Sunday morning, greeted with shock and sympathy from the Northern Beaches community.
“It’s disgusting that they do this to them,” said another.
One resident said she was “embarrassed” by the vandal’s behavior.
‘Sunny Singh is a true gentleman of the northern beaches. He has invested in cafes and restaurants and always supports local community events.
“I’m ashamed that we have such cruel people who are capable of doing this.”
Singh is now looking at ways to prevent vandalism and address the problems causing it in his own electorate.
“We need to work better together as a community,” he said.
A report has been made to the local police and Mr Singh wants to hear from the vandal so they can resolve whatever his complaint may be.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted New South Wales Police for comment.
Mr Singh has resided in the Northern Beaches for over 25 years with his wife while raising their young children.
