An award-winning Melbourne restaurateur says escalating crime has left her employees fearful after her businesses were targeted in seven break-ins.
Bangkok-born business owner Sutinee Suntivatana, 47, runs several hospitality venues with her husband, including Humble Rays Café and Tori’s Artisan Bakery and Matcha Bar.
The couple launched their first businesses in 2016 and 2021, later expanding into additional sites.
Ms Suntivatana told the Daily Mail that her venues had been burgled more than six times, most recently at the couple’s Niagara Lane bakery in August.
CCTV footage posted on Instagram showed a man wearing a black balaclava repeatedly kicking the front door until the glass gave way, before entering the bakery and taking money from the counter.
The venue’s front display windows were also smashed during the raid.
‘It was particularly upsetting because it was the first break-in at that location,’ Ms Suntivatana said.
‘Unfortunately, it has become something we almost expect rather than something that shocks us anymore.’
A Victorian business owner is refusing to abandon her Australian dream despite experiencing six to seven break-ins over the past few years.
Despite the repeated incidents, she said she would not allow them to derail the life and businesses she has spent years building.
‘I have lived in Melbourne for around 20 years and I still love this city,’ Ms Suntivatana said.
‘I am not giving up on it, but feeling safe should not be a luxury for people who simply want to go to work and run a business.’
Ms Suntivatana’s ordeal comes amid rising concerns about crime across Victoria.
Crime Statistics Agency figures show 625,426 offences were recorded in the 12 months to March 2026.
More than 20,000 thefts were reported at retail stores across the state during the same period, up 11.7 per cent on the previous year.
Although Ms Suntivatana lives in constant fear that another break-in is just around the corner, she said the incidents also left her staff worried about their safety.
‘Some staff start very early in the morning or finish late, and incidents like these naturally make them feel less safe,’ she said.
The thief went inside and helped himself to the counter
In CCTV footage shared to Instagram, a man with a black balaclava could be seen repeatedly kicking the front door until the glass broke
‘We have also had a serious incident where a staff member was injured during an incident at one of our venues.
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‘As an employer, you start worrying not only about your property, but whether your staff will be safe simply coming to work.’
Ms Suntivatana said she had spent thousands of dollars on security upgrades, but it was not enough.
‘Every time it happens, we pick ourselves up, repair the damage, improve security, add more cameras, spend more money and hope it doesn’t happen again,’ she said.
‘We have upgraded CCTV, alarms, and locks, paid indirect costs such as insurance, time spent dealing with incidents, repairs and disruption to the business, and continue reviewing security after every incident.
‘It helps, but unfortunately it cannot completely prevent someone who is determined to break in.’
While Ms Suntivatana has continued to bounce back from the setbacks, she said she wanted to devote more time to the business and less to security worries.
‘What concerns me is that every year, we seem to spend more time thinking about security and protecting ourselves,’ she said.
Ms Suntivatana said she had experienced more than six burglaries across her venues, with the latest at her Niagara Lane bakery in August
Ms Suntivatana operates several hospitality businesses, including Tori’s Artisan Bakery and Matcha Bar
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‘As business owners, our energy should be going into improving our businesses, creating jobs, training young people and making Melbourne a better city.’
In order for that to happen, Ms Suntivatana said that ‘something needs to change’.
‘More visible policing and security presence in areas with repeated incidents would help,’ she said.
‘I would also like stronger prevention, faster responses to repeat offenders and better support for small businesses affected by crime.
‘We can install cameras, stronger doors and better alarms, but there is a limit to what we can do.’
Ms Suntivatana said she didn’t think any of that was ‘unreasonable’.
‘We simply want our staff to come to work safely, our customers to feel safe, and our businesses to be able to operate 24/7 without constantly worrying about the next incident,’ she said.
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