SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake boba shop is getting support from fellow small-business owners after surveillance video captured a customer trashing the store after an argument with an employee over a discontinued cup.
Klara Han and Josh MacDonald, co-owners of Kyookie, a Korean bakery planned for Salt Lake City’s 9th and 9th neighborhood, arrived at Sunny Honey Boba & Desserts on Wednesday with sweet bread for employees.
The gesture was meant to help workers after what Han called a terrifying video.
“Because we’re a bakery ourselves, we just wanted to give what we do every day and make sure the staff is taken care of and make sure they’re fed well,” Han said.
Sunny Honey owner Cassie Vu said the shop was back open the next day, after staff spent the night cleaning up. But she said the encounter had a lasting effect on employees, including younger workers.
“They are shaking,” Vu said. “They’re still young, so they’re kind of afraid that happened.”
Vu said the confrontation involved a former customer and followed an earlier dispute over a cup the business no longer sells. She said the woman became upset after repeatedly asking employees for the discontinued cup.
During the encounter, Monday night, surveillance video showed her grabbing chairs and throwing them, then pulling items from the counter and hurling them toward employees.
Vu said, staff got the woman out of the business and said the woman damaged the drive-thru speaker system and took an iPad.
Vu estimates the damage between $5,000 and $6,000. But she said that's secondary to the fear her employees experienced.
Salt Lake City police said officers located the suspect nearby after she left the business. Police say she was charged with criminal mischief and disorderly conduct, and additional charges could be considered in connection with her arrest.
Sgt. Greg Wilking said police have limited history with the suspect but know of similar incidents in which she was removed from other establishments. He said police believe there may be a mental health component.
FOX 13 decided not to identify her because of that.
For Han and MacDonald, the bread drop-off was a simple way to show Sunny Honey’s employees they are not alone.
“I think coming together as small businesses, kind of just being there for each other, just kind of means the most,” MacDonald said. “Just knowing that you have the community behind you.”