Chip shop owners hit again

"It's a bad thing to happen. We work very hard." Jenny Han, Yummy Takeaways owner

The owners of a Palmerston North fish and chip shop are upset after their business was robbed for the second time in four years.

Two men, one armed with a baseball bat, entered Yummy Takeaways on Rangiora Ave on Monday night and took the shop’s cash box before fleeing the scene.

For owners Jenny Han and Zhang Han, it was the second time their Roslyn shop had been robbed by armed assailants in recent years. The first time was in July 2012.

Jenny Han said she was on the phone taking an order for another customer when the men came in about 7.50pm on Monday.

She said in what felt like 20 seconds, they had grabbed hold of the cash register and sprinted away along Rangiora Ave.

It was a scary experience to go through again, she said.

She described the men as being in their 20s, and dressed in dark hoodies with their faces covered.

‘‘I think the men didn’t see me. They just saw the box.

‘‘It was very quick. I just looked at them coming in and then they were gone.’’

She estimated about $300 may have been in the cash box.

‘‘It’s a bad thing to happen. We work very hard,’’ she said.

Han said the 2012 robbery had also been a scary experience, as two men had a weapon and stole $500. ‘‘Twice. It’s not good.’’

The offenders from the first robbery were never caught, she said.

Despite the robberies, she said Palmerston North city generally had a safe environment.

‘‘I’m not very worried for the Palmy public order. At night you can see the police cars.’’

But she said the Roslyn area did not always feel safe.

Yummy Takeaways was open for business on Tuesday.

Police are still investigating Monday night’s robbery.

A police spokeswoman said the offenders fled in a vehicle and asked people in the area who witnessed anything suspicious to contact the Palmerston North police on 06 351 2535.