A prank at Trinity College has lead to criminal charges and the destruction of an expensive cart, but the damage done to the small business owner who owned the cart may be the most sordid part of the ordeal.
The crêpe kiosk, which belongs to the recently opened Crêpe â GoGo at the corner of Bedford and Bloor was a joint business arrangement made with the restaurant Spaha. Spaha agreed to lend its patio space for the kiosk and would in return receive a portion of the revenue yield from the kiosk. But last week, Véronique Perez, the owner of Crêpe â GoGo, received a call from a friend who works at Trinity informing her that he saw her cart outside of his window at Trinity College. Perez didn’t think much of it at first and thought it was just a prank done by students.
“You know, I couldn’t understand what he was talking about…I had no idea what happened to my cart but he told me to call the U of T police and I did. I told the police that my kiosk, which is a business, has been dragged all the way from Spaha to Trinity College by students as a prank. So do whatever you want, I just want it back at Spaha,” said Perez.
But later that afternoon when Perez went to Trinity College and finally saw the damage that was done to her cart, she was heartbroken. Perez admitted she was naïve.
“I never thought that they would damage it and I thought they would never cross that line. This has never happened to me before. This was such a shock. Like it’s one thing to see someone die but it’s another thing to see the body parts disassembled. I started crying and I felt it was an invasion of my privacy. This was my baby and it was my business. I loved it,” said Perez.
What is special about the crêpe kiosk and its cooking elements is that it is uniquely designed and cannot be found anywhere in Canada. According to Perez, the kiosk alone costs more than $11,000 because it is custom-built in Toronto. It is made with fiberglass and stainless steel. It has 2 sinks and a pump underneath. The cooking equipment is all imported from France at a cost of $15,000.
“I went to France and saw the machines because they don’t exist here in Canada. Everything is from France including the spatulas, the paper, the stove…it’s crazy. Crêpe is a very French item. What’s more, we had to change the voltage on the machine since they were imported from France,” explained Perez.
In addition to equipment damage, Perez estimates she is losing approximately $80-$100 per day. As well, she just hired new employees for the kiosk and now has no other choice but to postpone their work schedules.
“The thing is that I don’t have any insurance, I don’t have a lawyer and I don’t have the money for a new kiosk. The university said they will help me to pay for the damages and look for reimbursement from the students…I’m not losing millions but I’m losing one arm of my business.”
Perez added, “This is just so silly. It’s sad but I learned a big lesson. It’s not about the money but the kids have to understand how hard they have to work to pay for their mistakes. I’m disappointed and I think it’s an embarrassment.”
Surveillance cameras were installed in the Trinity courtyard, which enabled police to identify the suspect. The case is scheduled for court hearing in October.
