Mr Fouhy believed the offenders had stolen the Subaru, driven to Kerikeri between 3.30am-5am, then stolen the van and returned to Kaikohe.
He urged anyone who had seen the van or the Subaru in Kaikohe, Kerikeri or in between early on Saturday morning to call him on (09) 405 2966 or the Kaikohe police station on (09) 405 2960. He was also keen for any information on the robbers' identity.
The man who entered the Bakehouse was described as brown-skinned, average to solid build, 175-180cm tall, with a black ponytail protruding from a black baseball cap.
He was wearing a grey hoodie, plain black pants, white gloves, black scarf or bandanna over the lower half of his face, and black sports shoes with a white stripe on the side.
About 9pm the previous Tuesday, a man entered Roses Takeaways, also on Broadway, grabbed the owner by the shirt and demanded money.
He had a weapon concealed under a sweatshirt which the owner assumed was a gun. It is understood the robber made off with close to $300.
Mr Fouhy said police were treating the two incidents as individual robberies at this stage, but the similarities suggested they could be linked. They occurred just days apart at times when few people were on the street, and targeted the same kind of business using similar methods.
"My biggest concern is that they're targeting local, Asian-run businesses. I'm concerned for all business owners and members of the public, but especially those who own dairies and takeaways."
The offender in the takeaways robbery was wearing similar clothing to the man who tried to rob the Bakehouse, but the physical description was different. Police were examining CCTV footage, Mr Fouhy said.
Information can also be passed confidentially to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
