Forget cash, coffee is king.

The owner of an Old South cafe is offering one year’s worth of free java to anyone with information leading to the arrest of whoever broke into his Wortley Rd. business.

Sometime Thursday morning thieves ripped off the electrical panel to disable the alarm at Fire Roasted Coffee Company. After failing to pry the back door open, it was yanked from its frame, said owner Dave Cook.

The only thing stolen was a small cash-filled safe and a few beverages.

But it seems the intruders were more interested in the cafe’s craft beer selection than the wide offering of fair-trade coffees.

“They were comfortable enough that they sat down and had a couple of beers in there,” said Cook, who estimates his loss at around $3,000.

The break-in comes after police warned of a rash of burglaries in the Old South area, with 15 break-ins reported between Jan. 1 and Feb. 17. In most cases, suspects forced their way into homes and businesses through back doors or windows, police said.

“We have had crime prevention officers in the area,” said Const. Ken Steeves.

Cook said he hopes his caffeine reward — redeemable for in-store coffee or beans to take home — will make the neighbourhood safer.

“Some kind of crew is working the area,” he said. “It’s just going to keep going on and on if we don’t figure out who’s doing it.”