Stephanie Morgan, who has run Stephanie’s SE21 in Dulwich, south London since July 2021, estimates she has lost thousands of pounds thanks to the “constant” burglaries.
The mum-of-one says thieves have repeatedly trashed her cafe, stolen her furniture, drinks, and food, and even simply “emptied out” her freezer – leaving items discarded on the floor so she can no longer use them.
On one occasion, Ms Morgan was robbed of 100 Magnum ice creams – in an incident she described as “stupid” and “wasteful”.
The business owner has since installed new security systems to ward off thieves – but these haven’t been cheap.
And now, she is worried about the future of the cafe if the thefts continue – as well as what impact that will have on the local community.
Ms Morgan, 44, said: “We had a lot of burglaries when we first opened but then it quietened down.
“But recently, we’ve been targeted once on January 24, three times in February, and then again on March 31.
“It’s been constant. It’s so disheartening.
“They come in and trash things. They take the drinks from the fridges – then smash up the storage areas.
A thief stealing from Stephanie’s SE21 in Dulwich (Image: Stephanie Morgan / SWNS)
“They’ll steal tools from the shed and take items out of the freezer only to throw them on the floor.
“In one of the thefts, we had 100 Magnums stolen. What is the point in that?
“They don’t have any value. You can’t sell them on. You can’t eat them all.
“It’s just stupid. And it’s wasteful.”
Ms Morgan has invested in a new security system which has CCTV and alerts police whenever there is a sign of a break-in – but the price tag has been hefty.
This comes as she is forking out money for repairs and replacements – and paying her staff for the extra hours spent clearing out fridges and “chaining furniture to the fences” to prevent more thefts.
She has also lost revenue after she reluctantly stopped serving alcohol (except for at private events) – as this stock was a particular target.
Ms Morgan said: “I’ve worked out that I’m paying an extra £18,000 a year in wages alone because of the extra security tasks I’ve had to ask my staff to do.
“And it’s not like it’s a particularly profitable business in the first place.
“If it wasn’t such a hub of the community – I wouldn’t bother anymore.”
Ms Morgan built the cafe back in April 2021 – transforming an abandoned car park by Belair Park into a beloved community spot.
“There were lots of people in the area all the time as they were walking their dogs – but no one really chatted besides a quick ‘hello’ as they passed.
“But now, it’s a beautiful community space.
“Dog walkers meet here even in the dead of winter. We have ‘Bump and Baby Group’ on Mondays, and Crochet Club on Wednesdays.
“On Fridays in the summer we host karaoke nights – and people have birthday parties here.
“Plus, later this month, on April 30, we’re starting a scheme where we’re welcoming local autistic students to help out at the cafe.
“So it really is a project of love.”
The thefts have also hit Ms Morgan particularly hard as she initially built the cafe for her dad – who sadly passed away from cancer in 2023.
She said: “I built the cafe for my dad as I needed a distraction when I wasn’t able to see him for a year during the pandemic.
“He was given the all-clear when we opened the cafe on July 4, 2021, but sadly passed away two years later.
“So I’m finding it really sad that there are people destroying it.
“I am worried about keeping the business going now.
“There’s all the financial loss – and also the stress.
“And it’s disheartening to keep bringing things in that are going to be destroyed.
“Hopefully the new security will help.”
Ms Morgan also runs a juice business called Raw and Juicy.
You can find out more about her cafe, Stephanie’s SE21, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanies_se21/?hl=en
