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Community raises money for small business in Surrey hit by thieves

Company hamstrung after mobile coffee bar trailer stolen and ransacked
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Dane Jaeger, left, and Krista Gommeringer pose for a photo in their trailer that was recovered after being stolen from their offices in Surrey on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. (Photo: Anna Burns)

The community is rallying to help a small business in Surrey that has been left hamstrung by thieves.

It started when Dane Jaeger showed up to work Wednesday (Oct. 14) to find his mobile coffee bar’s trailer was missing. It was stolen outside Your Coffee Story’s offices in Cloverdale (18663 52 Ave.) sometime overnight. All that was left was a broken lock and a tarp.

“It was fairly devastating when it was stolen,” said Jaeger, who owns the business. “It’s not just something that transports our goods, it is the business.”

Jaeger posted on social media asking people to look out for the trailer. Later that same day (Oct. 14), he received a call and the trailer was found in the area of 18900 Street and 52 Avenue about three blocks away.

While the trailer was found, the crooks made off with the equipment inside – coffee scales, bar fridges, kettles and a generator.

Luckily, Jaeger said, none of the coffee machines were stolen, as they are kept locked indoors at night.

“But they got enough to hamstring us for a while, until we can get some stuff replaced.”

Jaeger’s coffee business helps fund the vocational training centre he operates. The hope for this centre is to, “train baristas and give some job skills to people looking to re-enter kind of the workforce or enter it for the first time,” said Jaeger.

Your Coffee Story manager Krista Gommeringer said staff has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the community, from people sharing their posts to donating items and more.

For example, Chad Camacho, a Vancouver small business owner, has created a GoFundMe to help. As of Friday afternoon nearly $500 had been raised.

Click here to donate or for more information on what was stolen.



anna.burns@surreynowleader.com

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Anna Burns

About the Author: Anna Burns

I started with Black Press Media in the fall of 2022 as a multimedia journalist after finishing my practicum at the Surrey Now-Leader.
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