Police are seeking witnesses to a robbery at a Domino's Pizza store at Fashion Island in Papamoa. Photo / George Novak
A man is alleged to have threatened to hit a Papamoa pizza shop worker with a hammer if the worker did not give him cash from the till.
Another worker at Domino's Pizza at Fashion Island said a shift manager was working at the back of the store when a man carrying a hammer demanded cash about 10.30pm on Saturday.
"He said, 'Give me some cash or I will hit you with this hammer'. He didn't hit him, he just demanded cash," the worker said.
"His face was covered and he had gloves on," he said. "He was a short guy."
The worker said he had spoken to the shift manager on duty since the incident and said "he was fine" and it would be business as usual at the Papamoa store.
The store at Fashion Island opened seven to eight months ago, the worker said.
He said, 'Give me some cash or I will hit you with this hammer'
Acting Detective Sergeant Alan Kingsbury said police were called to the Papamoa store at 10.45pm on Saturday after a man threatened the shop attendant with a hammer.
"The man left the store on foot with a quantity of money," he said. "The offender then ran off into a nearby residential area and left on a pushbike."
The alleged offender was described as wearing a grey hoodie and black pants.
A scene examination was done at the store yesterdaymorning and police urged witnesses to come forward with any information that could help identify the offender.
Police could not say if the robbery was linked to a Friday night raid at the Subway on the corner of 12th Avenue and Cameron Rd.
Police said they were called to the Subway about 8.50pm after a man demanded cash from the till. He was believed to have been armed with a gun and had fled the store in a car with a sum of money.
A worker at BurgerFuel a few doors down told the Bay of Plenty Times he was confronted on Friday night by a man who had his hand hidden in his pocket when he threatened to shoot him.
"He threatened me if I didn't take him down to my store he would shoot me in the legs."
The BurgerFuel worker then saw the man walk into Subway.
The alleged offender was described as about 168cm tall, aged about 25 to 30.