Arkansas couple find their restaurant in shambles, manager says someone ransacked the place. But the prints on the TV expose a different story

When they heard that their Arkansas restaurant had been ransacked, Brandi and Wesley McDermott rushed in to figure things out. They feared it was a targeted act of vandalism. However, to everyone’s surprise, the damage was due to a chaotic, four-hour party thrown by a trio of unexpected guests.

Per PEOPLE, Caddy Shacks in Fairfield Bay opened in July 2025 and soon became a central hub for the small town of roughly 2,100 people. Brandi and Wes, who are parents to six children and grandparents to three granddaughters, had poured their hearts into the business after feeling what Brandi describes as several “God winks.” It encouraged them to take a “HUGE leap of faith” to get the doors open.

Then, on the morning of August 31, the couple received a distressing phone call from their manager. They were told that someone had broken in and “completely ransacked the restaurant.” Upon arriving at the scene, the couple was disheartened to find their livelihood in shambles. Brandi told PEOPLE that seeing the destruction was “just a punch to the stomach.” It was in the cleanup that the clues emerged that not all was as it seemed, starting with paw prints. 

The masked marauders

These paw prints were found on a television screen, which immediately made them question their initial vandalism suspicions. Per PEOPLE, Brandi then decided to dive into the restaurant’s surveillance footage to see exactly what had transpired overnight. What she found was quite a surprise. Three raccoons had spent the early morning hours causing absolute mayhem. It’s just another instance of complete vandalism where the culprit cannot be punished by law. 

The raccoons “spent the wee hours of the morning turning our livelihood into their very own rave,” she told PEOPLE. “They came in from the ceiling like SEAL Team 6 with parachutes, [swung] from the lights hanging on the ceiling, played pat-a-cake with the hanging glasses, frisbee with the plates, and finally made their exit about 4 hours later, leaving behind our entire business in shambles,” Brandi said.

According to KATV, the owners initially posted to their Facebook page explaining the situation to their patrons. “We are so sorry, but we had a break in last night and we are not going to be open today,” they wrote. “We have a huge mess to clean up.” Later that day, they provided an update for their community: “After looking at the camera footage, it looks like it was not humans that destroyed Caddy’s last night, it was raccoons…”

The resulting damage was extensive. Fox 16 KLRT reported that the mess included broken dishes, shattered glasses, damaged ceilings, and contaminated inventory that had to be thrown away. In another case, a Texas tattoo shop was completely trashed, although this time by a human, also forcing it to shut down for cleanup.

The timing was particularly difficult, as the closure forced them to miss the Labor Day weekend, which is a vital time for the seasonal resort town. “It is incredibly heartbreaking that we will not be able to reopen for the last weekend of lake season, Labor Day weekend,” she tells PEOPLE.

Despite the frustration, the response from their community has been a major bright spot. Per PEOPLE, Brandi noted, “Our hearts, souls, and spirits have been renewed by the outreach of love and support that we have gotten, not only within our community but all throughout the state of Arkansas.”

The McDermotts are now working closely with the health department and a wildlife remediation company to ensure the building is safe and secure. According to KATV, they emphasized that they are taking the process seriously and will not be cutting any corners before welcoming customers back. 

“Because the health and safety of our customers and staff are our top priority, we are taking this situation very seriously,” the owners stated. “Before we reopen our doors, we want everything cleaned, sanitized, inspected, and addressed thoroughly — exactly the way we would want it done for my family. We are not cutting corners or rushing the process.”

While there was some initial uncertainty about whether they could afford the repairs, the support from their “Caddy family” has solidified their resolve. “Our customers are our family, and they have spoken,” Brandi tells PEOPLE. “We are pushing forward, and we WILL reopen!!” With a plan in place, the couple is hopeful that they can get back to business within the next few weeks. 

“We are steadfast in our faith that once we are able, God will provide!” Brandi says. “We absolutely cannot wait to see all of our ‘Caddy family’ again soon!”