Stolen car crashes into popular Nando’s with a very pointed five word message graffitied on the doors

A stolen car emblazoned with the words ‘We don’t accept cash here’ has been driven into the front of a popular fast food restaurant after it decided to go cashless this year.

The Volkswagen sedan was driven through the front of a Nando’s restaurant on Barkly Street in Footscray, in Melbourne’s inner city, early on Friday morning.

The incident is believed to have been triggered by a decision the South African company’s takeaway chain made to go cashless in May.

The decision sparked outrage, with Australians striking out.

The restaurant addressed the criticism in in-store signage suggesting that concerns about the drop in cash are just conspiracy theories.

“Sorry, I guess we’re part of the New World Order now,” the sign read.

‘Just kidding. Card payments mean we spend less time counting coins and more time perfecting your chicken.’

But dozens of Australians were less than impressed.

A stolen Volkswagen sedan with the words ‘We don’t accept cash here’ spray-painted on the side was driven through the front of a Nando’s in Melbourne on Friday morning

The incident is believed to have been triggered by the decision by the South African-based company’s takeaway chain to go cashless earlier this year (pictured is in-store signage)

‘I understand that it is a company’s right to refuse payment types. As someone who mostly uses cards, I still think this is a really dumb move and will be taking out elsewhere,’ one longtime patron wrote on Reddit at the time.

“The question is, if cards are so much more convenient for business, why are they still allowed surcharges,” commented another.

“Maybe I’m a boomer gen-Z member, but it’s quite ironic that legal tender is slowly becoming something only useful for buying non-legal goods,” wrote a third.

But not everyone was against the move.

“Not only does (cash) make you vulnerable to being robbed … it always takes so long if you have to count coins and keep people behind waiting,” said one.

“The problem with cash is that cash handling, management and transport is a business and ironically an increasingly unprofitable one,” added another.

A Nando’s staff revealed that customers often complained about the cash ban.

‘Nothing new. No surcharge for cards, Nando’s is expensive enough as it is lol. It’s annoying when customers try to complain to me or scold me for it, but I can’t do much about it, I wasn’t even there when the decision was made,’ they wrote.

Emergency officers are pictured at the scene at a Nando’s on Barkly Street in Footscray in Melbourne’s inner city, where a car was driven through the front of the restaurant at 10am. 02.15 Friday.

Victoria Police are currently searching for the driver who fled the scene shortly after.

No one was injured and nothing was stolen from the restaurant.

A police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia: ‘Emergency services were called to a fast food restaurant on Barkly Street, Footscray at around 10am. 02.15 after reports that a car had driven into the front of the building.’

‘On arrival no one was present and a stolen white Volkswagen sedan was still at the scene. At this stage, investigators do not believe entry has been gained into the building and the exact circumstances remain to be established.’

Anyone who saw the incident or has footage is urged to contact police.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Nando’s for comment.