The team said the incident has been a huge setback for the business's expansion plans
A man has shared his heartbreak after thousands of pounds worth of equipment was stolen from his new venue before it even opened. Bilal Ali and Moeen Fiaz are the brains behind the Walton venue, Woffle on County Road.
The two best friends, who went from selling 10 burgers a week to serving Liverpool Football Club players, are in the midst of opening a new city centre venue on Knight Street. The brand first opened in July 2022, and at the time, it struggled to break even.
Fast forward to today, and the friends count the likes of Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, teammate Ryan Gravenberch, manager Arne Slot, as well as former players Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz among their clientele.
Their loyal fan base has been eagerly awaiting the new eatery, just off Berry Street, to open for weeks as posters went up in the venue’s windows last month. However, now the site’s opening has been delayed in the most devastating way.
Knight Street's Woffle after being broken into
Knight Street's Woffle after being broken into
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Co-founder Bilal Ali, who lives in Toxteth, said: “We're heartbroken to share that our new Woffle store on Knight Street in the city centre was broken into in the late hours of Sunday, November 2. Around £30,000 worth of our kitchen equipment - including grills and fryers - was stolen.”
CCTV shared with the ECHO shows two men, wearing what appears to be pink Hi-vis jackets, making several trips from the venue to a white van, each time with a different piece of equipment, before driving off.
The suspects also tore through one of Woffle’s walls to gain access to the site. When Bilal arrived at work the following day, the kitchen equipment was gone.
The state in which Haseeb Fiaz found Knight Street's Woffle with the kitchen equipment missing
The state in which Haseeb Fiaz found Knight Street's Woffle with the kitchen equipment missing
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He added: “We work so hard every day to build Woffle into something special for our community, and this has been a huge setback — but we won't let it stop us.”
Merseyside Police are now appealing for information regarding the business burglary. The force said that at around 12.10pm on Monday, November 3, a report was received of entry being gained to Woffle restaurant on Knight Street, a business currently under renovation.
Woffle on Knight Street.
Woffle on Knight Street.
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It is believed that the offence took place at around 9pm the previous night, Sunday, November 2.
Police confirmed high-value kitchen equipment was stolen, and forensic and CCTV enquiries are ongoing. If you have any information, images or footage to assist, Mersyeside Police said you can get in contact via X or Facebook @MerPolCC.
You can also report information via the website or call 101 quoting incident reference 25000901204.Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.