Belfast coffee cart owner appeals to young vandals to "leave it alone"

The family behind the first coffee cart in an East Belfast park has urged the young people who've been targeting it this week, to 'leave it alone'.

Karl Donaldson and his family worked together to launch the Barista Box in Orangefield Park in May.

But over this week's Halloween break, he says they have been inundated with messages from concerned locals about groups of young people targeting the refurbished horse box with fireworks and eggs as well as trying to break inside.

READ MORE: Family's excitement to open first coffee cart in Belfast park

Karl told Belfast Live: "It was really disappointing. It's not nice when you are sitting in the autumn/winter months when we close on a Monday and Tuesday and you are getting messages to your private Instagram saying 'I've just walked past the trailer... but there were a couple of youths trying to gain access and jumping on top of it'.

"We are a very infant business... we went live on May 31 and it has been going from strength to strength.

"It's been generally really well received by the local community and they have been so supportive of it. Despite what is going on they have always been looking out for it and have been very complimentary of the business."

Karl said attacks on the trailer "came completely out of the blue".

He added: "On Monday... somebody messaged in and said they walked past early evening and there were six or seven youths trying to gain access to it.

"I checked it out and they scurried off. Then about two hours later I got more calls saying 'there's about 30/40 teens running around that area of the park.

"I'm all for them having the craic but when they are vandalising your property and you are paying Belfast City Council the tender... it's not really ideal. It's a family owned business.

"It was the same sort of story on Tuesday... then on Wednesday I had messages to say there were fireworks going off in the park... the railing had been taken off the hinges near where the Barista Box is and they had been trying to gain access again.

"There were marks on the doors and people trying to kick it in, the railing was pulled off, there was egg on the front of it and the remains of fireworks around it."

Karl says everything else is going "great" with the Barista Box, he would just like the young people that have been vandalising it, to "leave it alone".

"We are trying to give back to the community," he added.

"Please leave these sorts of family-run infant businesses alone... think of the consequences of your actions. Please be respectful of local businesses."

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