A stolen car with the words “We don’t accept cash here” was smashed into the front of a popular fast food restaurant after it decided to go cashless this year.
The Volkswagen sedan crashed through the front of a Nando’s restaurant on Barkly Street in Footscray, in Melbourne’s city centre, early on Friday morning.
The incident is believed to have been sparked by a decision the South Africa-based takeaway chain made to go cashless in May.
The decision sparked outrage and Australians criticized the move.
The restaurant addressed criticism on store signs that suggested concerns about dwindling cash are simply conspiracy theories.
“Sorry, I guess we’re part of the New World Order now,” the sign read.
‘It’s a joke. Card payments mean we spend less time counting coins and more time perfecting the chicken.’
But dozens of Australians were not very impressed.
A stolen Volkswagen sedan with the words “We don’t accept cash here” spray painted on the side was rammed into the front of a Nando’s in Melbourne on Friday morning.
The incident is believed to have been sparked by the South Africa-based takeaway chain’s decision to go cashless earlier this year (pictured, signs in store)
‘I understand that a company has the right to refuse types of payment. As someone who primarily uses cards, I still think this is a really stupid move and I’ll take it elsewhere,” one long-time user on Reddit wrote at the time.
“The question arises: if the card is so much more convenient for business, why are surcharges still allowed?” commented another.
“Maybe I’m a boomer-ish Gen Zer, but it’s pretty ironic that legal tender is slowly becoming useful only for purchasing non-legal items,” a third wrote.
But not everyone was against the measure.
“(Cash) not only makes you vulnerable to being robbed… it always takes a long time if you have to count coins and makes the people behind you wait,” one said.
“The problem with cash is that its handling, management and transportation is a business and ironically becoming less profitable,” added a second.
Nando’s employees revealed that customers often complained about the cash ban.
‘Nothing new. There is no surcharge for the card, Nando’s is quite expensive as it is lol. “It’s annoying when customers try to complain or scold me for it, there’s not much I can do about it, I wasn’t even there when the decision was made,” they wrote.
Emergency services officers appear on the scene at a Nando’s on Barkly Street in Footscray, inner-city Melbourne, where a car was rammed into the front of the restaurant at 2.15am on Friday.
Victoria Police are currently searching for the driver who fled the scene shortly afterwards.
No injuries were reported and nothing was stolen from the restaurant.
A police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: “Emergency services were called to a fast food restaurant on Barkly Street, Footscray, at around 2.15am after it was reported that a car had crashed into the front of the building. “.
‘Upon our arrival there were no people present and a stolen white Volkswagen sedan was still at the scene. At this time investigators do not believe entry was gained into the building and the exact circumstances are yet to be determined.’
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has footage is asked to contact police.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Nando’s for comment.