The situation at a coffee shop in Da Nang: Western tourists vandalize it completely.

The cafe on Le Hong Phong Street (Da Nang) that was vandalized by Western tourists is undergoing urgent repairs and is expected to reopen on June 3rd.

Following the incident on the night of May 29th, where an Australian man stormed into a cafe and vandalized numerous items, Ms. Nguyen Thanh Loan, the owner of the cafe, told Tri Thuc - Znews on June 1st that she is still in shock and exhausted after witnessing years of hard work destroyed in just a few minutes.

"I was practically sleepless the night the incident happened. The initial estimated damage is around 500 million VND, but we can't give an exact figure yet because there are still so many items that need to be assessed and repaired," Ms. Loan shared.

"Racing against time" to make repairs

Over the past few days, the cafe located on Le Hong Phong Street has remained in a state of disarray: shattered tempered glass, many brewing equipment, valuable furniture, and decorative items completely destroyed.

Ms. Loan has had almost no time to rest since the incident. "Everything happened so quickly. All my hard work and dedication were ruined in a short period of time," she said.

According to the owner, everything is happening so quickly that it's not yet possible to accurately estimate the total damage and the cost of repairs. Many items need to be completely replaced. The interior space will be redesigned after the incident. Many pieces of furniture and equipment were severely damaged beyond repair and will have to be purchased new.

The state of the cafe's interior on the night of May 29th, after it was vandalized by Western tourists.

To get business back to normal as soon as possible, the construction teams are working continuously day and night. "If everything goes smoothly, the restaurant could reopen next Wednesday," Ms. Loan said.

The owner shared that she started pursuing a career in the coffee industry in 2022. The aforementioned chain of three coffee shops is a project she has dedicated much effort to building over the past years.

After news of the incident spread on social media, the restaurant received many messages of support and encouragement from customers and the expat community in Da Nang . Many offered financial or material assistance to help the business overcome its difficulties.

However, Ms. Loan stated that she would not accept any donations.

"I deeply appreciate everyone's support, but I respectfully decline any monetary or material donations. The encouragement and the return of customers when the shop reopens have already been a huge source of motivation," she said.

A night of chaos

Recalling the night of May 29th, Ms. Loan said that she and her friend were having a meal together at a local pub. Around 11:50 PM, a staff member called to inform her that a foreign man was vandalizing the pub for no apparent reason.

"In my entire career in the coffee business, I've never encountered a situation like this before," she said.

Recounting the events, Ms. Loan said that the person entered the restaurant and sat down at an empty table. After some time without the customer ordering, the staff proactively offered to take their order at the counter, but the person remained seated. The staff then brought the menu to the table to assist with ordering.

Due to communication difficulties, a male customer sitting nearby assisted the staff in exchanging information in English. Both parties used their phones to translate the conversation.

However, the situation unexpectedly became tense when the man took the customer's phone and refused to return it.

"According to the customer and staff, despite being asked multiple times, this person continued to hold the phone, read messages, and view personal content," Ms. Loan said.

Ms. Loan was shocked after witnessing her "brainchild" being completely destroyed.

Noticing something unusual, the customer asked the staff to call security for assistance. However, before the staff could leave, the foreign man suddenly stood up, took off his shirt, smashed the phone he was holding, and loudly demanded that everyone leave the restaurant within 10 seconds.

Immediately afterward, the suspect began destroying a large amount of property.

Many items at the bar, decorations, tables, chairs, and tempered glass doors were destroyed. Not only was the bar's property damaged, but many customers' personal belongings such as phones and laptops were also destroyed.

At the time of the incident, many customers were sitting on the second and third floors of the restaurant. Fearing danger, they sought shelter while the assailant continued to vandalize the area below.

Approximately 5 minutes after the incident occurred, the Hai Chau ward police arrived at the scene. Upon seeing the authorities, the man attempted to flee to the second floor.

According to the owner, while trying to escape, the suspect got into a fight with several customers and choked a male customer before being apprehended by law enforcement.

"After about 2-3 minutes of surrounding the suspect, the police brought the situation under control. At around 0:30 AM on May 30th, the suspect was taken to the police station for questioning. At that time, he was shouting, resisting, and uncooperative," Ms. Loan said.

The female owner of the restaurant asserted that prior to the incident, her staff had no conflict whatsoever with the man.

Previously, in an interview with Tri Thuc - Znews , the leader of Hai Chau Ward People's Committee stated that the unit had received the information and was coordinating with the local police to investigate. The incident is still being clarified by the authorities.

Source: https://znews.vn/tinh-trang-quan-ca-phe-da-nang-bi-khach-tay-dap-pha-tanh-banh-post1656010.html