A coffee shop in downtown Toronto has been vandalized three times in the past year, including twice in one week, and a local MP is blaming antisemitism.
Cafe manager Wali Ullah said the attacks on Goldstruck Coffee on Richmond Street W. are taking a toll.
Last May, the coffee shop was broken into and valuables were stolen. Then, on March 16, its front window was smashed and valuables were taken. Days later, on March 23, its front glass door was shattered.
“It’s frustrating for us, for the team, for our community, for the customers. Overall, it’s heartbreaking. The owners are going through a lot,” Ullah said.
Ullah said there are repair costs and no revenue on the days that repairs are underway.
“Why us? Why small business owners or small business employees? We come every day to work. If you close down any place, if the owners, they cannot survive, if they close down any business, so all of us, all the community will be suffering, will have no job. It’s not a good thing. It’s not a kind thing.”
Ullah said the incidents could be considered hate crimes, though did not elaborate on why.
On Instagram, the owners say: “They may have shattered the glass but not our energy, our team, or our love for what we do. We’ll fix the glass (again), clean up (again), and open the doors (again). Because no matter what, you can’t break Goldstruck.”
Police not currently investigating cases as hate crimes
Toronto Police said they are investigating two incidents at Goldstruck Coffee’s Richmond Street W. location: a break and enter on March 16 and mischief on March 23.
“Both are currently under investigation, and there have been no arrests at this time,” police spokesperson Ashley Visser said in an email.
Cafe manager Wali Ullah said the attacks on Goldstruck Coffee on Richmond Street W. are taking a toll. ‘It’s not a good thing. It’s not a kind thing,’ he says. (Mehrdad Nazarahari/CBC)
Visser said police are not currently investigating the two cases of vandalism as hate crimes but that could change at any point in the investigation.
MP Kevin Vuong, who represents Spadina-Fort York, drew attention to the attacks in a post on X on Tuesday, alleging the incidents were motivated by antisemitism and that the vandals targeted Goldstruck’s owners.
“As promised, I’m proud to be here in support of this incredible Jewish and family-owned Toronto small business!” Vuong said.
Local community showing support, cafe manager says
Ullah, meanwhile, said in an interview on Tuesday that both incidents in March were captured on security camera video. He said employees showed up last Sunday to find the glass front door shattered.
“After we checked the footage, we saw there was just a random guy, stalled in front of the door for about 20 seconds or something, and took out something from out of his pocket and just smashed the door and left,” he said.
The front glass door has been boarded up at Goldstruck Coffee. The local community has been quick to respond, with many regular customers making donations to help cover the cost of repairs. (Mehrdad Nazarahari/CBC)
The coffee shop has posted the video of the latest vandalism on Instagram.
A week before the most recent incident, another person was caught on video breaking the front window and using an umbrella to push past the shards. The person is seen moving through the coffee shop and grabbing a cash box before leaving.
Ullah said the local community has been quick to respond, with many regular customers making donations to help cover the cost of repairs.
Goldstruck Coffee runs two locations downtown, including one in Yorkville. Ullah said a third, as yet unopened, location was spray painted with a Star of David symbol last month.
The UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, a non-profit organization, said in a post on Instagram that it “condemns the repeated acts of vandalism on Goldstruck Coffee, a Jewish-owned business in Toronto.”
“Antisemitism and hate have no place in our city. As a community, we stand united against such hatred and will not be intimidated by those who seek to instill fear,” the UJA Federation said.
