A Vancouver bakery owner said caught a thief breaking in on video — he swept the floor, took some selfies, and left with 6 cupcakes

• A man broke into Vancouver’s Sweet Something bakery in the early hours of Friday, and the security footage made for a viral video.
• The bakery owner told Insider her “heart sank” until she saw the “hilarious” footage of the thief attempting to sweep up broken glass with a mop.
• A police report has been filed, and the bakery is making desserts inspired by the suspect to help pay for the broken door.

A Canadian business owner woke up Friday to learn her bakery had been broken into, and the security footage of the crime is inciting more laughter than fear.

Emma Irvine, owner of Sweet Something in Vancouver, shared a story time video to TikTok that showed a man breaking into her bakery in the early hours of Friday morning. As seen in the video, the suspect shatters the glass door, but seems to realize the mess he made and attempts to sweep it up before continuing his pastry heist.

After hanging in the store for over an hour, Irvine’s narration said, he left with a half dozen chocolate cupcakes. The clip has been viewed over one million times since it was uploaded on Saturday.

“Initially, my heart sank,” Irvine told Insider. “It’s hard as a small business — especially coming out of COVID — to survive right now, and one more expense doesn’t make it easier.”

“My mindset quickly changed. It was hilarious – I was in stitches watching (the footage),” Irvine said.

The security footage gave Irvine a new perspective on the break-in, which she said normally would have left her distraught but ultimately she “can’t be too mad at this guy.”

The culprit even left behind a couple of selfies on the store’s iPhone sporting orange glasses. Now, they are an inspiration for cookies and cupcakes at Sweet Something.

Something Sweet filed a police report, but the laughs continued as Irvine said the officers were equally amused to see the thief try to clean up his break-in. Although he rested, used the bathroom, and even had a drink of water, his attempt to “play around” with the cash drawers proved unsuccessful.

Ultimately, he left with only six chocolate champagne cupcakes, and provided the bakery with the opportunity to produce a viral video.

“I thought no one was going to see it (other than) my friends,” Irvine said. “I didn’t think that we’d be getting the traction that we’ve gotten. The media on the business is far more than I could’ve ever dreamed.”

Irvine said the proceeds of the suspect-themed sunglasses desserts will help Sweet Something pay for the damaged door.

“Small businesses can’t afford to not carry on after something like this, so we’re making the best out of it,” Irvine said.