What to know
Grand Order of Divine Sweets reported an overnight break-in after hosting a successful early Easter egg hunt with a $5,000 grand prize across downtown Toronto.
Staff arrived to find the front door damaged with a crowbar, and a till float stolen; the bakery said no other valuables were taken and no one was harmed.
The co-owner described the incident as upsetting, particularly following a community-focused event, but confirmed it remains open during regular hours.
Supportive messages poured in online from customers and local businesses, while the bakery said it plans to continue with upcoming Easter activities.
A Toronto cafe is cleaning up more than just an Easter celebration after it was broken into overnight, following a lucrative egg hunt on Saturday.
After a successful event celebrating Easter a week early, the Grand Order of Divine Sweets posted on their Instagram story that they had been broken into during off hours, leading to one of the store’s doors needing repairs.
“…we wanted to let everyone know that everything is safe and being handled,” the post said in part. “…please be careful when visiting and don’t mind the door while repairs are underway.”
The bakery also followed up with a post on their profile, explaining the details behind the break-in.
“This morning, we arrived to something a little less magical. Overnight, our shop experienced a break-in and our front door was badly damaged with a crowbar,” the description explained.
Co-owner Sam Lapointe told Now Toronto the break-in happened between 2:30 a.m. to 3 a.m.
“…it was definitely unsettling to walk into, especially after such a beautiful community event the day before,” she said. “But we’re very grateful that everyone is safe and that the damage was limited.”
Lapointe added security footage showed one individual using a crowbar to break into the store. They then took a register drawer containing $200. A photo of a cat above a toilet, telling customers to “please flush” was also missing.
“It’s just a really funny picture, and we had it when we closed last night, but it’s not there now,” she explained. “It’s such a weird thing to be gone. I don’t know if they took it or not, but that’s the only other thing that is missing, other than our till float.”
Other than that, Lapointe says the bakery doesn’t keep any valuables on site.
The bakery plans to up their security and will no longer keep till floats on site.
“We’re also just going to make it so there isn’t really anything [valuable] there anyways, we want to mostly keep our staff and our team safe so the security is there for that… they are our valuables,’ Lapointe said.
The day before the break-in, the bakery held their annual easter egg hunt, with a grand prize of $5,000 for the winner. In Instagram stories just 17 hours before they announced the break-in, they said the event was a huge success, with many finding the treasure chest prizes hidden throughout the downtown core.
The store said the community is strong, especially in moments like these. They added what happened could have been worse.
“…a break-in won’t keep us down,” the post said. “Our team is safe, and that’s what matters most. We’re still here, still baking, and still pouring our hearts into Easter treats, maybe even more so now, just to stubbornly create a little extra magic for you this week.”
Lapointe also added they plan to continue operations and upcoming events as usual.
“I hope that whoever took it needed the little that they were able to grab, and it wasn’t just crime for crime’s sake, and they are able to reach out to someone for help,” she said. “I know that life is really tough right now, and we do what we can for our community, both by giving back and making life a little sweeter… But I just hope that whatever caused this to happen in the first place, it’s kind of a one off, and they don’t really feel the need to do it again to anyone else.”
The bakery said on Instagram it is still open Sunday and going forward during regular business hours.
Online reaction
Well wishes poured into the Grand Order of Divine Sweets’ Instagram, with most saying they were happy everyone was safe.
“We are so sorry this happened,” a business commented to the bakery on Instagram. “We’re glad it wasn’t worse and they didn’t vandalize the store in the process, but a break in is so scary and upsetting nonetheless!”
“So sorry this happened. Glad you are all safe, especially after all you guys do for the community! Sending positive vibes today,” another Instagram user said.
Another Instagram user said it was shocking this followed their egg event.
“I was just there yesterday at the hunt (it was so much fun thank you for having the event and hosting the prizes), it’s so sad that this happened,” they wrote.
“What an awful thing to happen to such lovely people after your big day yesterday,” another Instagram user added.
Another person also said they travelled to participate in the egg hunt.
“This makes me so sad that someone wanted to take from you after you spent the day giving back to your customers,” the Instagram user wrote.