A café owner is asking for help to identify a woman she says threw steaming hot coffee at one of her staff members because she she had to wait a few minutes for her drink.
Little Latte Drive Thru owner Ebony Spiteri said the woman, who was wearing a pink puffer jacket, visited the venue at Hoppers Crossing in Melbourne’s west on Sunday afternoon accompanied by another woman.
Shocking CCTV footage from inside the café shows the barista as she passed a freshly made coffee through the serving window before an unidentified woman reached in and threw it back at her, steam clearly visible rising from the liquid.
‘Things like this shouldn’t happen to people who are just doing their job… I’m so upset over this,’ Ms Spiteri told 3AW’s Jacqui Felgate.
She explained the café is primarily drive-thru so cars get priority over ‘walk-ups’, but the woman had only just arrived.
‘She was yelling because she hadn’t been served yet so the customer in their car said, ‘just serve her, it’s fine’. So they took her order first [and] then the car, which took a couple of seconds, and made the coffees.
‘Then she handed it to the two women at the walk-up and she proceeded to abuse her. My staff member did try to say ”have a nice day” and close the window and she forced herself through the gap and just threw the hot coffee at her.
‘My staff member was so nice and professional, no-one should be treated that way.’
CCTV shows the freshly made coffee covering the counter and the staff member after it was thrown back through the serving window
The 30-year-old staff member fortunately avoided injury but was ‘shaken up’
The customer had been waiting less than two minutes when she became irate, said café owner Ebony Spiteri
The customer then told the staff member to ‘call the police… I’ve done nothing wrong’ before walking away.
Both police and ambulance officers were called.
Ms Spiteri said the 30-year-old staff member fortunately avoided injury but was ‘shaken up’.
‘She was distraught when she called me and is nervous to be there without anyone else.
‘Same with my other staff, one of them is eight-months pregnant, this could have happened to her.’
Ms Spiteri (left) thanked the community for their support of her business (right)
Ms Spiteri said she has since spoken to police on two more occasions in an effort to press charges but the woman has not been tracked down.
‘My staff don’t feel safe… we want to identify them so this doesn’t happen to anyone else,’ she said.
Many Aussies slammed the customer who allegedly threw hot coffee and offered their support for the cafe worker.
‘She always serves me and my partner, She is nothing short of amazing, always smiling, always happy,’ one said.
‘Whoever did this is disturbed… disgusting that service staff have to deal with this.’
Another added: ‘Times up on the old customer is always right attitude. Workers need a more protective and relevant rebrand like: customer behaviour is accountable.’
A third added: ‘Dreadful behaviour, the customer should be ashamed of themselves.’
Another said: ‘What is wrong with people. Everyone is becoming so entitled and disrespectful. Hope this girl is ok.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Victoria Police and the business for further comment.
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