A neighbour of East Gore Takeaways, who asked not to be named, said he had just about fallen asleep on Sunday night when he heard a "loud thump".
He first thought it was a vehicle crash, but when he looked outside he saw a car backed into the property next door.
He phoned police immediately.
"It’s a good neighbourly thing to do."
Before the car left the scene, the witness said, one of the occupants got out and started smashing the till on the ground.
He believed the vehicle was pulled over by police in nearby Maitland St.
A police spokeswoman confirmed a youth and an 18-year-old were arrested following the incident; the latter was charged with burglary and vehicle theft.
It is understood the youth was 13-years-old.
Takeaways owner Michael Vetters could not understand why anyone would target his business.
"It’s stupid really. What are you expecting to get from a fish and chip shop?" he said.
"They’d be lucky if they got away with $80 worth of coins."
The till and soft drinks were the only items taken, he said.
Mr Vetters said insurance would cover the damage done to the shop but would not cover loss of earnings.
"Every minute I’m closed that’s hurting," he said.
Mr Vetters said he and five part-time workers staffed the shop and he was hoping to reopen later this week.
At least he was in time to cancel the chip order.
"Otherwise I would have two hundred bucks worth of chips sitting in there I can’t use."
The 18-year-old defendant appeared in the Invercargill District Court yesterday before Judge John Brandts-Giesen and was bailed on a 7pm-7am curfew on the condition he refrain from contacting the youth or the complainant.
He is due to appear in the Gore District Court on September 7.
