Napier burger joint smashed by man with weapon as owner served customer

Daniel Kyte at Bushman's Tucka after Tuesday's incident in which a bat-wielding man started smashing equipment and fittings. Photo / Warren Buckland

New Napier takeaways proprietor Daniel Kyte likes it hot – but not as hot as when an enraged man bowls through the door swinging a club or bat intent on smashing up the premises.

The attack happened mid-morning on Tuesday at the small Wycliffe St Shopping Centre, where Bushman's Tucka has been open since early December, with Kyte chasing a reputation for the hottest hamburger in Hawke's Bay.

He's even offering a monthly prize for the fastest downing - somewhere around two and a half minutes - of the king-size-bun specialty with alert-level-hot chilli, Carolina Reaper-style.

It took barely that amount of time when a man, wearing a Hastings-branded gang patch, swung a "baseball" bat to let steam off in an attack said to be linked to the activity of a dog, a woman and a young boy in the small shopping centre on Monday afternoon.

Locals said "the pound" – aka Napier City Council Animal Control – had been called on Monday about a dog around the shops, and a woman and young boy arrived at the shop soon afterwards wanting to know who had made the call.

A staff member was allegedly assaulted, having a scooter thrown at him, and the boy with the woman was cut after a refrigerator window was smashed.

Kyte was in the shop alone serving another customer when Tuesday's incident happened, resulting in the till, a pie warmer, a coffee machine and a food safety shield on the counter all being attacked.

With the shop closed as two locals helped to clean it up, seven-days-a-week operation the Bushman's Tucka was closed and missed the crucial lunch trade.

Kyte was hopeful a till would be back in action for the late-afternoon and evening rush.

The shop opens 6am-8.30pm weekdays and 11am-8.30pm on weekends, and is already establishing a reputation with the hamburgers, selling about 250 a week.

Having grown up just a few blocks away in suburban Maraenui, Kyte says he has loyal customers with whom he has had no issues and who will be concerned about the Monday and Tuesday events.

Among them are customers of previous proprietors dating back many years, including to when the premises was a butchery – which carries a link to today, with mince patties made on-site.

While the shop is his first takeaways enterprise, he has extensive food and bar industry experience.

Police confirmed mid-afternoon they were still making inquiries to locate those responsible.