MIAMI – It’s a fixture in Miami’s MiMo District along Biscayne Boulevard — and it’s been vandalized again.
Ms. Cheezious, known for its grilled cheese sandwiches, was hit again overnight Thursday. The restaurant, located at 7418 Biscayne Blvd., had previously been vandalized May 13.
In the latest incident, a man is seen coming up to the restaurant at 4:09 a.m. and then leaving 40 minutes later after causing thousands of dollars in damage.
Surveillance video shows the suspect walking around, lighting a cigarette and then throwing rocks at the restaurant’s impact glass, smashing it as much as he can.
The man takes his time, leaves, then comes back a couple of times. He even walked across the street at one point to get more rocks. The vandal ultimately smashed two windows.
Ms. Cheezious’ owner, Brian Mullins, said he found some of the rocks the vandal used sitting outside still when he walked in Thursday morning.
He said what’s really frustrating for him is that this is the second time this has happened in just a matter of weeks. The May 13 vandal, a different suspect, also used rocks to vandalize the business.
Mullins said both men aren’t familiar to him, anyone else from the restaurant, or any of his neighbors that he’s asked.
“For owning a small business in the city of Miami, things are tough everywhere, we all know what the economy is doing right now, so it’s difficult,” Mullins said. “It’s just a bit deflating. You come in, you work hard every day, put your best foot forward, you want to do the right thing, and then it’s just deflating. You come in and for no reason, it’s a punch in the gut and then worse things (happen) in the world, so we just move on.”
No neighboring businesses were targeted and it’s unclear why the vandals are targeting Ms. Cheezious.
“We’ll clean up the mess, we’ll be open for business, we’re still serving good grilled cheese, we still have great customer service, we’ll be for the people but not that guy,” Mullins said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Miami Police Department or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.