PORT COQUITLAM - At least Richard Dys has a sense of humour.

The owner of the De Dutch Pannekoek House on Lougheed Highway in Port Coquitlam can make light of what might have been a much more serious situation.

At about 9 a.m. Tuesday, an elderly Ford driver managed to crash through the front of his restaurant, causing thousands of dollars in damage.

"There was smoke and glass everywhere. All the customers ran out of the restaurant," Dys told The NOW, noting there were about six to seven tables of people dining at the time.

He suggested the driver must have thought she was in reverse, but the car lunged forward instead.

No one was injured, but the damage to the eatery is extensive.

The car went through a two-foot brick retaining wall, taking out a window and 10-foot door along the way.

Once inside, the car toppled over a hostess stand, pay counter and drink station before coming to rest.

Dys said one customer opened the driver's-side door and turned the vehicle off, as the woman still had her foot on the gas.

"It was pretty freaky," he said, adding if a couple of employees hadn't jumped out of the way, they would have been squished.

He estimated the damage to be worth about $20,000, which includes getting special-order doors, and fixing the brick wall, pay counters and tile.

RCMP Cpl. Jamie Chung said the crash is still being investigated, but alcohol and drugs are not considered factors.

The driver and the passenger were taken to hospital as a precaution, but did not report any injuries.

Getting back to Dys' sense of humour, by Wednesday the restaurant was back open with a couple of boards out front reading: Yes, De Dutch is still open. Come in and check out our daily door crashing specials!