“We’ve had absolutely no problem in the past (with break-ins) and I basically came to work Saturday morning to find the doors broken in and the gate broken,” West said.

“A lot of things were thrown and a mess was made and the house was taken with a lot of money in it.”

West said several other things were taken, but the house, with an undisclosed amount of cash, was the most valuable item stolen because it had “all of our Friday night earnings.”

West said it was unclear how many criminals were involved and was working with another business to release the CCTV to police.

“We are completely fenced off. We basically have a 6-foot fence around us.”

West said it wasn’t easy running a family business, and she was working a second job as a teacher to help cover the costs of running the business and support her family. She said it was “horrible” to have to deal with such a thing.

“For someone to do that, you’re like, ‘What the hell?'”

However, she said the support from customers and the community has been encouraging for her and her husband, who have been running Bareknuckle BBQ for nearly three years.

“The feedback and support has been very overwhelming. Lots of comments and lots of messages.

“It shows that our community spirit, even though these things still happen, what comes with it is wonderful.”

West said it appeared the offender or offenders must have jumped the property boundary fence before breaking down their gate (which is part of a separate fence).

Police were at the premises on Saturday to investigate the break-in. A police spokesman said as of Monday morning that “inquiries are ongoing.”

A nearby cafe, which was also allegedly targeted, has been contacted for comment.

If you have any information that can help police, contact 105 or Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay reporter covering a wide range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He previously worked at News Corp Australia.