Locals have come together to support a much-loved cafe owner after his cafe was vandalized with a ‘disgusting’ three-word message written on one of the walls.
Mandeep ‘Sunny’ Singh, 25, discovered one of his 4 Knots cafes had been vandalized in Collaroy on Sydney’s Northern Beaches on Sunday morning.
The vandal left stencil-sprayed images of cockroaches on the side wall of the cafe with an odious message.
“The cockroach cafe,” it said.
Residents of the easy-going northern beaches were disgusted by the message left for the small business owner and shared their support for Mr Singh on Facebook.
Mr Singh told Daily Mail Australia he was not actively feuding with anyone in the community; he had received no prior complaints from customers about health, noise or regulatory issues.
He is baffled by a series of pranks, but believes one person just doesn’t want him in Collaroy.
‘What is this all about? It’s racism. In the best country in the world… the most multicultural country,” he said.
Locals have banded together to support a much-loved cafe owner after his cafe was vandalized with a ‘disgusting’ three-word message written on one of the walls
The vandal left stencil-sprayed images of cockroaches on the side wall of the cafe with an odious message
Mr Singh revealed that this is just one of the many acts carried out by vandals at his cafe.
One morning he discovered that he and his staff had left behind a bag of rotting shrimp. On another morning, dog feces were discovered near the cafe door.
An outdoor bench was then taken from the side of the building.
Random “tip-offs” have repeatedly led rangers to the cafe and then fail to report misconduct to the council, Mr Singh said.
A much-loved but faded shop called Cherry Blossom previously occupied the building on Pittwater Road and had to be sold.
Mr Singh, who is also a Northern Beaches councilor, has given it a facelift and it 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 money to fix the paint job after he shared images of the damage.
‘I said no, I can do that myself, but I want to show people that this happens to me. It happens all the time,” he said.
‘They say they feel sorry. But it’s not all my business. It could happen to any other company too.”
“It’s a matter of respect here.”
Mr Singh has been an active investor in Northern Beaches businesses and found his way to a spot on the city council when he was the only Liberal member to file his ticket during the late nomination saga that cost the party across Sydney.
“I’m just asking for justice to be myself and against racism in Australia. Our country is the best and better than that,” he said.
‘My two children, I want them to feel like ‘this is where you are, and you’re going to live here, you’re going to respect this country.’
“This country has given us everything.”
Mr Singh’s community has tackled the mysterious vandal.
‘This coffee shop has the best food and staff! This kind of behavior is not acceptable,” one local wrote online.
Mr Singh shared images of the discovery on Sunday morning and was met with consternation and sympathy from the Northern Beaches community
“Disgusting that this is being done to them,” said another.
One resident said she was ‘ashamed’ of the vandal’s behaviour.
‘Sunny Singh is a true gentleman on the north beach. 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.”
Mr Singh is now looking for ways to prevent vandalism and tackle the problems it is causing 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 interview the vandal so that they can find a solution to their complaint.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted NSW Police or commented.
Mr Singh has lived in the Northern Beaches with his wife for more than 25 years while raising their young children.