Stephanie Morgan, 45, says she has lost thousands thanks to “constant” break-ins
A South London café owner has revealed her struggle to keep her business running after being burgled more than 50 times in just four years. Stephanie Morgan, 45, who has owned Stephanie’s SE21 in Dulwich, Southwark, since July 2021, estimates she has lost thousands of pounds due to the “constant” break-ins.
The mum-of-one reports that thieves have repeatedly ransacked her cafe, taking her furniture, drinks, and food, and even simply “emptied out” her freezer- stealing 100 Magnum ice creams.
Ms Morgan installed some costly security cameras, smoke bombs, shock sensors, and outdoor sensors which all alerted police – and momentarily halted the burglaries. However, the cameras were eventually disarmed and within 24 hours someone attempted to break in again.
The owner has now installed 15 cameras of her own and refurbished the entire café with new menus in an effort to make it more profitable. But, a week after the refurbishment was completed there were two more break ins, where thieves destroyed their new outside storage areas and stole all their stock.
Now, the owner admits she has started to feel defeated and is unsure what more she can do to save her business. She has reported some of the break ins to the Metropolitan Police, who are investigating – but she says so far there have been no convictions.
Ms Morgan said: “People just jump over the fence. It has been constant. They smash in and steal the furniture and decorations. Because it is an outdoor café, I have fridges and freezers outside and they would smash up all the storage areas. It feels like no matter what I do it just doesn’t seem to be enough. I don’t want to let the café go. I want to do everything that I can to save it.”
Ms Morgan established the cafe back in April 2021 for her dad who had been diagnosed with cancer – transforming a derelict car park by Belair Park into a cherished community hub. She explains that their position near the park makes them a soft target for thieves as it becomes pitch black at night with nobody about.
The proprietor reveals there have been more than 50 break-ins in the four years they have been operating, with two occurring in the past week alone. As the structure is only temporary, Ms Morgan has been unable to secure insurance for her business and is forced to cover all the stolen stock and repairs from her own funds.
She has also suffered lost earnings after reluctantly ceasing alcohol sales – as these items were particularly targeted.
Ms Morgan said: “It is such a low profit margin café. I have never taken any money from the café, I am always just putting more money in. It is so time consuming to run the business. In July I thought that I had to either let the café go or invest into it even further. So, I used all my personal money to fund a refurbishment.”
She added: “It is not so much the value of the items that they take but the impact on our growth. It has had a huge financial impact on the business and me personally. I have had to fund it out of my own resources and there is only so far that I can stretch. It has got to the point where the business could bankrupt me.”
Ms Morgan also operates a juice business called Raw and Juicy which she hasn’t been able to devote any time to through all the stress. The owner has now launched a fundraising page as a last resort to help out, which has already raised over £600.
She added: “When I have spoken to the community about the possibility of the café not being here anymore, they always express how much it means to them. It is really the heart of West Dulwich. It is a community café so anything that I can do to secure it and grow it I will do. I am not going to give it up.”
The Metropolitan Police said: “Officers are continuing to investigate two burglaries at a café in West Dulwich. Police were called to the premises on Thurlow Park Road, SE21 shortly after 3am on Thursday, 18 September following an alert from a burglary alarm.”
Police added: “Officers attended within five minutes of the alert. When carrying out enquiries, the victim’s reported a separate burglary which occurred on Tuesday, 16 September. Enquiries remain ongoing and no arrests have been made at this stage.”
You can donate to Ms Morgan’s campaign here.
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