Police are seeking information after vandals attacked a Lilli Pilli cafe's outdoor dining area at the Father's Day weekend, September 5-6.
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A South Coast Police spokeswoman said offender(s) entered the outdoor open dining area between 8pm on Saturday and 5am on Sunday.
Lights from the roofing area were pulled down and thrown on the ground, 10 large ceramic pots were smashed and 12 outdoor dining chairs were stolen.
THREE66 Espresso Bar owner Tammie Goodliffe said she didn't have a chance to clean up the mess because food and drinks needed to be prepared for the families arriving for Father's Day.
She arrived at the cafe at 4.45am yet didn't realise how much damage was done until the sun came up.
She said the offenders had hurled the pot plants over the balcony into the Mosquito Bay boat ramp car park.
The 60-metre pontoon party lights were ripped off, dragged through the carpark and were partly on the road.
"At 6am, all the Father's Day people were pulling in with their boats," she said.
"They didn't have a choice; you could hear the ceramics popping under the wheels."
She said there were flood lights switched on so it would have been as bright as "broad day light" at the time of the attack.
Staff sought more chairs for the busy day ahead to replace the 12 that were stolen.
She said it would be expensive to replace what was stolen or destroyed. Moreover, the plants - including succulents, herbs and a fig tree - took time to grow.
"They (the plants) wouldn't have looked like much to them (the offenders)," she said.
"I'm feeling let down. I thought we lived in a better place."
She said all customers were disappointed and were supportive to the business.
Police have asked anyone with information on the incident to call Batemans Bay Police on 4472 0099 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
