Cafe, butcher targeted in early morning break-ins at Balgownie

CCTV inside Ariel's Balgownie cafe captured a person wearing a red jacket breaking in through the front glass doors at 1.30am on Monday, April 1.

Once inside they allegedly rummaged through the cash register and refrigerators before rushing to the front door and running away.

Damage to the door meant the Balgownie Road cafe couldn't offer dine-in service on Easter Monday, a day that owner Mahsa Noori had hoped would be busy.

"First we were shocked, now it's frustrating," she said.

"We could only do takeaway, but we were supposed to open from 7am to 3pm for dine-in."

Five staff who had been rostered to work that day had their shifts cancelled due to the damage.

While around $100 in coins were taken from the til along with the staff tip jar, it'll cost the cafe $3000 to replace the glass front doors.

A few doors up and 15 minutes earlier, there was a break and enter at Graze Butchery, also on Balgownie Road.

There, a person rummaged through the office and a truck parked inside.

"We've been broken into three or four times in the last few years so we've learnt not to leave anything here," manager Wayne Chinnock said.

The butcher shop did not have anything taken, however now has a repair bill to fix a broken door lock and damaged door frame.

While the person in the cafe's CCTV footage covered their face while inside and their hand when touching the til, Ms Noori hopes by sharing the video somebody will recognise the person pictured.

Next month Ariel's celebrates its first birthday and Ms Noori said the suburb is a wonderful place to have a business.

"People are really supportive here, they're really nice," she said.

Police are investigating both incidents and possible links between them.

These incidents come following a $10,000 overnight raid on a Thirroul computer shop, and separately, three youths allegedly stealing $6300 in technology goods from a Dapto computer shop.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Wollongong Police Station on 4226 7899 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.