The Breakfast Nook on Selby St. has suffered a setback after their popular outdoor patio was destroyed overnight. (The Breakfast Nook)

By Alex Rawnsley

big crash

Outdoor patio destroyed at popular Nanaimo breakfast spot

Jun 8, 2022 | 11:24 AM

NANAIMO — It’s a major setback for a local restaurant ahead of a busy summer season.

Reports were made to Nanaimo RCMP around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, June 8 after a vehicle apparently crashed into the wooden patio in front of The Breakfast Nook on Selby St.

Owner Carrie Williams said police called her a short time later to deliver the news.

“It was pretty much torn right apart, someone drove literally right through it and carried shrapnel down the street a block. It looks like the vehicle got stuck on the patio and had to actually back up off it. There’s some tire marks and stuff…they must have damage on their vehicle.”

The patio was installed in the summer of 2020 as part of a City of Nanaimo program to help restaurants stay open and increase their available capacity during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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A handful of restaurants took advantage and saw great benefits from the added outdoor seating in the summer months.

Several elected to keep their patios year-round.

“It’s huge. It seats 8 to 10 people and it’s unfortunate when it rains it’s not as popular but on the weekends it’s an added benefit for sure,” Williams told NanaimoNewsNOW. “With summer coming, this is detrimental to our summer, it takes out quite a bit of seating and a lot of revenue.”

Williams said she paid $1,900 for the patio built by the City, in addition to a yearly rental for the space it uses on Selby St.

The City of Nanaimo handles maintenance of the structures and cleared the debris on Wednesday morning.

Nanaimo RCMP confirmed an investigation into the incident is underway, however, little information is currently available.

An initial canvas for security camera footage came up empty, while patrols made after the apparent crash was called in didn’t find a damaged vehicle.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the detachment at 250 754 2345, quoting file number 2022-19472.

Debris from the crash was strewn up Selby St., according to the restaurant’s owner Carrie Williams. (The Breakfast Nook)

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