Hamilton dairy owners Asfer and Kauser Mian thought their shop would be safe in the hands of their inexperienced friends on the quiet of Christmas morning yesterday.
But at 10 o'clock a man walked in, waved a gun at the couple and demanded cash and tobacco.
The caretakers
complied but were left shaken by the ordeal, Asfer Mian said later.
"They have gone home now. We sacrifice the day. We are not Christians but Muslim, but we will still celebrate the day.
"It is very disgusting and bad on that person's part," Mr Mian said.
"Somebody wants to harm someone else, on this day, for nothing. This is a civilised society, it's not a jungle."
About $80 cash and $50 worth of tobacco was taken, and Mr Mian was not confident this would even match his day's takings by close of business.
The dairy is in Mardon Rd, Fairfield, in the heart of an area that is known as "poet's corner".
Poet's corner hit the headlines in January when gang tensions between a Black Power member and Mongrel Mob associates boiled over.
A firearm was discharged, and a piece of shrapnel hit Mr Mian's 20-year-old son in the face, sparking an armed offenders squad callout.
Postal workers refused to deliver mail to the area in the following week.
Graffiti to the shops and robberies of them are "part of it," Mr Mian said. Despite this, he was adamant yesterday's robber was not a local.
"We know the people in this area. It's rough but we know the people and they are nice people and we belong.
"I have been here six years and they know us and treat us well.
"I've seen the [security] footage and the man is not from around here, he's not a local."
Police had taken the security tapes of the robbery away for examination, Mr Mian said.
Senior Sergeant Peter van de Wetering said no one had been arrested. "We don't know at this stage whether it was a real gun or an imitation. There was only one offender involved."
