LAFAYETTE, CALIFORNIA – A reader tells us Panache Cafe in Lafayette was robbed early yesterday morning. The owner, known to customers as Apple, was reportedly inside the shop alone when she heard the front glass door break. She ran upstairs to hide, the reader said. The thieves did not realize she was there, the reader added.
We are actively working to confirm these details. This morning, the Bay Area Telegraph observed the front door of the cafe boarded up.
According to the account we received, the suspects took a safe with cash and also took Apple’s wallet. The break-in left a shattered door, a smashed computer, and a mess throughout the cafe.
The reader adds that this is not the first time Apple has been robbed and notes that she works long hours to keep the cafe going amid rising rents and costs.
Mid-morning, some regulars were already talking about organizing a fundraiser to help Apple repair the damage and recover losses. If a formal effort launches, we will update this story with the details so the community can help.
Another local, Howard, provided this account of what happened in a message shared with the Bay Area Telegraph:
“As most of you know, Apple’s shop was robbed early this morning around 5 a.m. Six men were involved. Apple was inside at the time but thankfully hid and was not harmed. The police arrived within minutes, but unfortunately, the robbers managed to steal her locked safe, which had been bolted to the floor. The safe contained a significant amount of cash.
We encouraged Apple to take tomorrow off to rest, but she hadn’t yet decided when we spoke this afternoon.”
Again, we haven’t yet heard an official report from the CC Sheriff or Lafayette police, and are working to get confirmation from the cafe. If you know anything about what happened, please email tom@bayareatelegraph.com
Panache Cafe is located at 3653 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette.
