'Our customers turned break-in into record sales'

"Closing the doors for the day I felt exhausted and loved, it felt like a warm, nice day and everybody left with a smile on their face," Natalie Capewell said after the busiest day at her cafe since it opened eight years ago.

Customers rallied round after The Two Mugs in Shirley, Solihull, had its door kicked in and an empty till stolen, leaving the owners of the independent business feeling "demoralised".

After they posted the news on Facebook, customers piled into the cafe on Sunday to show their support, increasing sales by 20% with extra staff members brought in to help.

The former IT manager said "all credit" went to her staff, who worked without breaks to cope with demand.

"It was firstly overwhelming, but actually a lovely experience as the fact that Shirley came out to support us made it all worthwhile," she added.

Since the cafe opened eight years ago, the owners said they had experienced three break-ins which were "frustrating" as they poured their "hearts and souls" into the business.

"The most they've ever taken was a Red Bull and an ice-cream, we don't keep valuables on site, they take what they can and escape very quickly," Capewell said.

They thanked customers for their support after the break-in which meant "the world", adding that even a takeaway coffee made the difference.

Describing the customers with a beaming smile on her face, Capewell said that the cafe "wouldn't be where it is" without them, as they were "very loyal" and rallied together to support the community.

"Some customers come two or three times a day, an old gentleman called Gerry tells us it's the highlight of his day," she said.

Jane has been a customer at The Two Mugs since it opened and enjoys having a coffee and teacake as a treat at the cafe.

She described the business as "amongst the best" in Shirley and loved how the cafe supports local independent suppliers for meat and bread.

"There's groups of ladies, groups of work colleagues, mums with toddlers, you'll struggle to get a table," she said.

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