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:…