In string of alleged break-ins at least three Honeysuckle restaurants have been ransacked, suffering significant damage and loss of stock.
According to several restaurant owners between Tuesday October 15 and Wednesday October 16, several locations were targeted by thieves.
Thermidor Oyster Bar and Brasserie owners, Joshua and Jessica Gregory had just gone to bed when they saw their restaurant security system going off from their phones.
They said several people appeared to be inside their venue at around 12.30am on Wednesday October 16.
Mr Gregory said the group had allegedly kicked in two side panels of the restaurant and then used red wine bottles to smash the glass doors between the bar and the dining area.
Before the alarm alerted police and their security company, they allegedly stole a bottle of Malibu and Midori, Mr Gregory said.
"It is all damaged, everything is replaceable but it is just another thing, there is just the two of us, we are just husband and wife trying to have a crack at having a restaurant," he said.
He said once the glass doors and panelling was replaced, and red wine stains were industrially cleaned out of the concrete floors, the repairs would probably cost a few thousand dollars.
"When we opened the restaurant all we wanted to be was part of the community and a place for everyone, and we wanted to be part of the incredible tapestry that is Newcastle," he said.
"When you have things like this it just feels like a setback, it is sad. It is a bit disheartening, a bit disillusioning but you know it won't slow us down."
While the restaurant was closed all of Wednesday for repairs, Mr Gregory was hoping to re-open by Thursday October 17 evening.
Thermidor opened on Honeysuckle Drive more than a year ago on September 8 2023.
Trent Smith, owner of Hideout on the Harbour and The Dockyard, told the Newcastle Herald a group had caused damage and stole alcohol from his Hideout premises about 5.20am on Tuesday.
He said three glass doors were broken and tables and furniture were scratched up with close to $1000 worth of alcohol stolen and potentially $20,000 in damages.
"It is very unnerving because we do have another venue, and our cleaners start from 5am and quite often he is around at the Hideout and very easily could have been there yesterday when it happened," Mr Smith said.
All the damage had since been repaired, with the venue open for business on Wednesday evening.
Another nearby venue was also reportedly hit during the very early hours of Tuesday morning.
Licencee of the Queens Wharf Hotel, Stephen Smyth said his restaurant was broken into at 1am on Tuesday October 16.
He said while it appeared only a bottle of wine had been stolen, around $2500 damage was allegedly caused including a smashed window, torn down shutters and broken chairs.
Newcastle Herald has reached out to NSW Police for details about the three incidents.
In a statement this week, NSW Police said they arrested a 16-year-old female after midnight on Wednesday over an alleged break-in at a commercial premise on Honeysuckle Drive.
She was taken to Newcastle police station and charged with aggravated break and enter in company.
Police said the young woman was also charged with a second offence related to the prior evening when a licensed premise in the same area was broken into and alcohol was stolen.
She was charged with aggravated break, enter and steal in company, and was refused bail to appear at Broadmeadow Children's court on Wednesday.
