Robbery At Chit Chat Diner In West Orange; Men Flee With Cash

WEST ORANGE, NJ — A diner in West Orange was robbed early Wednesday morning, authorities said.

The robbery took place around 4 a.m. at the Chit Chat Diner on Eagle Rock Avenue, a West Orange township spokesperson said.

Three employees – each a kitchen worker – were present at the time of the break-in. Two of them were eating in the kitchen and the other was at the coffee machine.

Authorities said two people entered the diner, apparently by breaking the glass on the back door. They immediately proceeded to the restaurant’s cash register, which is located near the front entrance.

The employee at the coffee machine said he heard the sound of glass breaking, but initially thought it was a plate that had fallen in the kitchen. But soon afterward, he saw an unknown man walk past the kitchen doors. When he went to investigate, another man grabbed him from behind. The assailant – who was wearing a black skull cap and a black surgical mask – then held an object believed to be a knife against his lower back, authorities said.

The second man pushed the employee towards the cash register and demanded that he open it. But the worker told them he was only a cook and didn’t know how to operate the register, authorities said.

The two men eventually found a key for the register and took cash from the drawer; the total amount wasn’t immediately known. The men then fled through the front door of the diner, authorities said.

No additional information was immediately available.

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