Several children were severely traumatised by an armed robbery at a popular grilled chicken outlet in Makhado (Louis Trichardt) on Saturday night.

Staff and clients, including several children left by their parents at the local Nando’s, were shocked when the robbers, initially posing as clients, entered the premises and then produced a firearm and ordered them all to lie down on the floor. Money and cellphones were taken from them and the robbers also took the available cash from the tills.

One of the robbers stood casually at the door to inform arriving customers that the shop was already closed.

A staff member managed to escape from the robbers while they were trying to get to the safe. He managed to contact the owner of another restaurant close by and alerted the police. The robbers were already gone when the police arrived.

Unsuspecting parents, arriving to fetch their children, looked on in horror when they found the premises under siege by armed policemen.

“Several warning shots were fired by the police, after they arrived at the scene. The robbers, by that time, had already fled in a white Jetta car,” said manager Gavin Rauch on enquiry this week. He said the robbers escaped with several thousands of rands from the till. They arrived at about 20:45, shortly after Mr Rauch had left. The business usually remains open on weekends until about 22:0 at night.