Cafe owners in the Australian city of Melbourne are turning to satellite technology to track coffee machines that have been stolen.

It comes amid concerns there that custom-made equipment is being targeted by thieves.

ABC reports that last weekend a AUS$40,000 (€31,554) coffee machine was stolen from a cafe in the Melbourne suburb of Kew even before it had officially opened.

'Carlton North' cafe owner Salvatore Malatesta says several top-end machines have been stolen this year and he believes the equipment is being shipped to Asia.

"We've amped up the security of our venues so if the machines are stolen they are tracked. That's what we're installing on all of our high-end machines right now" he told ABC.

He adds that the theft of a such custom-made coffee machines is crippling for a high-end coffee shop.