After a banh mi shop on Merthyr Road was robbed, its regular customers came together and offered donations to replace the small business’ losses.
Shop owner Ken Nguyen said that the community “melted his heart”.
Banh Mi by Little Uncle is a family-owned business that had over two hundred dollars stolen from its till and tip jar on Friday, September 12.
A concerned community member posted about the robbery on a community Facebook page, and the locals of New Farm came out to support the bakery the next morning.
Commenting on the post, Mr Nguyen thanked those who had “showed up with so much love, kindness and generosity”.
“Not only did you help refill the jar, but you overflowed it — and more importantly, you filled our hearts too,” he said.
“Whether you dropped a tip, shared some kind words, or simply showed up to support, it truly meant the world to us.
“From the bottom of our hearts — thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Regular customer Michael Campbell said: “I was put out by it. I thought no, this is just not on… I thought, well, I can do something about it.”
Mr Cambell donated $50 to the store because he wanted to show the staff that well-intended people exist and are on their side.
“I think everyone wanted to restore their faith in humanity,” he said.
