One week it was the pride of serving Canada’s national soccer team, the next it was posting security footage nobody ever wants to share.
Van Suya, the Nigerian restaurant that opened its sit-down spot in Chinatown earlier this year, has shared video of a break-in at its Keefer Street location.
The team says the restaurant was broken into at 4:36 a.m. on July 1, and the video went up on Instagram the same day.
The security footage shows two figures behind the bar, with one reaching up to pull bottles straight off the shelves.
According to the post, most of the liquor from the bar was taken, along with other valuables.
“We’re heartbroken,” the caption reads. “As a newly opened location, this is an incredibly difficult setback.”
“We’ve poured our hearts, time, and resources into building this space, so something like this is truly devastating.”
The incident has been reported to police, and the team says an investigation is already underway.
They are asking anyone who recognizes the individuals or has any information to reach out, and for locals to share the video to help identify those responsible.
One commenter asked how a bar full of liquor could go without an alarm.
The reply from the account that co-posted the announcement was blunt: there is an alarm, and police were dispatched but “didn’t come.”
The timing makes it sting more.
The break-in came just one week after what the team described as the excitement of serving the Canadian National Soccer Team.
If Van Suya is new to you, the brand started back in 2021 as a takeout concept before opening its first dine-in restaurant and lounge in Surrey in 2023.
The Chinatown location is its Vancouver sit-down debut, taking over the former MiLA unit on Keefer Street across from Juke Fried Chicken.
The menu is built around suya, the Northern Nigerian street food of thinly sliced grilled meat skewers seasoned with a peanut-forward spice rub called yaji.
Dishes like Asun Jollof with spicy grilled goat and fried plantain round out the lineup.
The comments under the post have filled with support, from a neighbour suggesting local businesses split the cost of overnight security to followers telling the team to keep going.
The team closed its post by thanking the community for the love, support, and encouragement.
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Address: 266 Keefer St, Vancouver BC