Five months to build a dream

Ashish Sharma and Manali Purohit spent five months fitting out their vegan cafe And Bodega in Melbourne's North Fitzroy, sourcing secondhand furniture and doing much of the work themselves using their life savings.

“We put in basically all our life savings. We did a lot of it DIY.”

Cafe opens in July

And Bodega, named after New York convenience stores, opened in July. Within three months, on Monday October 12, a suspected arson attack gutted the neighbouring tobacco shop that had opened in recent weeks.

Part of a wider wave

The firebombing is part of a spate of suspected arson attacks targeting tobacconists across Melbourne. Hundreds of tobacco shops have been hit since late 2023.

The aftermath and robbery

The day after the firebombing, about five thousand dollars worth of technology and equipment was stolen from the burnt-out cafe. Sharma said it felt as if their dream had been ripped away.

“It felt like a warzone. The roof had melted off, soot everywhere.”

Community support emerges

The couple set up a crowdfunding campaign.Purohit, who grew up in Mumbai and trained as a pastry chef in India, says fellow small businesses have offered to donate profits, host fundraisers and drop off ice-cream.

“Words can't describe just how seen and loved we feel.”

Insurance falls short

The couple's contents insurance is expected to provide a payout of about twenty five thousand dollars. But the funds are not expected to cover the costs of rebuilding the cafe at the same location.

Plans to reopen smaller

Sharma and Purohit hope to reopen And Bodega as a smaller hole-in-the-wall cafe serving baked goods and coffee.Sharma says if they can restart, it is at least one small way to fight against the violence.

“If we can restart, it's at least one small way to fight against the violence.”