Family-operated restaurant in Sudbury frustrated after another break-in

A well-known family in Sudbury say they are frustrated that their restaurant, Damascus Shawarma, was again the victim of a break-and-enter.

The owners of Damascus Shawarma in Sudbury say they are frustrated that, yet again, their restaurant was targeted by thieves, but they’re not giving up.

Hussein Qarqouz said he and his staff had a busy day Saturday serving customers at both their storefronts on Lasalle Boulevard and the food truck at Bell Park.

After everyone had left the site in New Sudbury, culprits broke in, damaging the back door and making off with roughly $500 in cash from the register.

“Saturday, I start at 5 (a.m.), I finish 1:15 in the morning. I think he followed me, followed my staff, too,” Qarqouz said, adding that the break-in appeared to happen about 15 minutes after they closed.

The family immigrated to Canada from Syria 10 years ago and opened a business downtown in 2018. It moved to the Lasalle location at the end of 2021.

Qarqouz said this was the fourth break-in since they opened – and the second at their current location.

‘We work so hard’

“It’s very frustrating when we work so hard for somebody to just come and steal like that,” said Osama Qarqouz, manager of Damascus, and one of Hussein’s sons.

“We have a lot of people that we’re responsible for. They depend on us.”

Since the restaurant opened, the family has been vocal about giving back to the Sudbury community that supported them when they arrived as refugees.

“This is just a message -- if you need, please just come and ask us. Don’t steal. Because that’s never a good thing,” Osama said.

Surveillance cameras captured the culprit responsible for the recent break-in, but not their face.

Greater Sudbury Police said the investigation is ongoing.

In an email to CTV News, a spokesperson said the individual left the scene prior to police being called. The suspect is described as a slim man with long dark hair, wearing jeans and a dark jacket.

Three other break-ins in the area have been reported to police over the past few months.

According to a recent report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the number of small businesses affected by crime almost doubled in the last year, with vandalism, theft and litter the most common issues.

“Imagine working hard, providing jobs, contributing to the community, just to have your goods stolen, windows broken, and property vandalized,” said Keyli Loeppky, CFIB’s director for Alberta and interprovincial affairs.

“For small businesses, it’s devastating when they are hit by crime over and over again.”

Not giving up

Meanwhile, the Qarqouz family said that since posting about the break-in on social media, they’ve experienced a positive response from the community.

They add they’re not letting the recent challenge deter them from giving up on either the business or Sudbury, just yet.

“Thank you, everyone, from my heart,” Hussein said.