Regina doughnut shop hit with racist graffiti, broken windows in recent incidents

A Regina doughnut shop owner is undeterred after a string of vandalism at his store that most recently included racist graffiti.

Vuong Pham, owner of Country Corner Donuts, said the vandalism started about four or five months ago, when rocks were thrown through the shop's front windows. About a month later, he claims his window was shot with a BB gun, with one of the steel balls from the gun still visible on his window sill.

Larger rocks were thrown through the windows last month, but things quickly escalated last week after racist messages were spray-painted on the windows.

Pham says he contacted police after each of the incidents happened, but it was only after this latest incident that he told police he believed he was the victim of a hate crime, which led to officers visiting the shop.

Pham's daughter told CBC police are investigating the incidents.

He doesn't know who is responsible for the vandalism and the only security cameras he has are inside the store. But he isn't letting the string of incidents get to him.

"Most Canadian people (are) wonderful and this country (is a) beautiful country," he said. "But some are bad apples."

"Somebody maybe they ... don't like you or something. They see you so happy or they see you do good. That happens all the time anywhere."

Community shows support

Several nearby and competing businesses turned to social media to encourage people to stop in to buy something at Country Corner.

"No one deserves this but especially this hard working pillar in our community," a Facebook post from Auto Electric Service Ltd. read.

By mid-morning Saturday, the shop had sold out of doughnuts.

"Somebody (bought) one coffee and he paid $50," Pham said, becoming emotional.

He also noted that many people came to help clean up his shop after rocks were thrown through the windows.