Brick Room café on Bay Street reopens after break-in as community rallies
Despite losing cash and damage costs from an early-morning break-in, the café was open by 7 a.m. Saturday with regulars lining up.
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The Brick Room café on Bay Street reopened within hours of a break-in, drawing customers to its doors before the glass had even been fully boarded up.
Toronto Police received a call about the break-and-enter around 3:25 a.m. on August 9. Cash was stolen and the till was taken, but no injuries were reported. Instead of shutting down for the day, owner Komlapreet Singh had both café locations open and operating on schedule the next morning.
"Our regulars were lined up at 7 a.m. like nothing happened and bought coffee while we cleaned up," Singh said. "We've been on Bay St. long enough to know that's what actually holds a neighbourhood together."
The café handled the setback with humour, posting on Instagram: "COFFEE TASTES SO FIRE, someone couldn't wait till we open and tried to break in overnight to get some." The caption continued: "UPDATE: lost all the cash and the actual till, matcha and coffee [are] safe." The community responded with sympathy and jokes, with customers reassuring the owners they would bounce back quickly.
Police continue to investigate but have not identified any suspects as of publication.
Good to know
What happened at Brick Room café?
Brick Room café on Bay Street experienced a break-in around 3:25 a.m. on August 9, 2026, during which cash was stolen and the till was taken.
When did Brick Room reopen after the break-in?
Brick Room café reopened at 7 a.m. on August 10, 2026, the morning after the break-in, with regulars lined up to purchase coffee.
