Trade at a Fairy Meadow coffee shop has ground to a halt ahead of what should be the business’ busiest time of year, after an upstairs unit fire took out the electricity supply.
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Thirteen people were evacuated from units above a row of shops on Daisy Street from about 11pm Wednesday, after fire broke out inside the kitchen of one of the apartments.
Multiple onlookers dialled triple-zero.
Mindful of the fire’s potential to spread to neighbouring units, Fire and Rescue NSW sent trucks from Wollongong, Balgownie, Corrimal and Unanderra and a Hazmat response unit from Shellharbour.
The street was closed to traffic as firefighters got to work.
The blaze was confined to the unit’s kitchen, which was badly damaged by fire, water and smoke.
All residents were accounted for and unhurt, with only one treated for smoke inhalation.
But the blaze would have unexpected consequences for downstairs espresso bar The Broken Drum.
The business was unable to serve coffee throughout Thursday as the power supply to its machines could not be restored.
Business owners Graeme and Jo McLuskey said the setback had come at the worst possible time of year.
“[Neighbouring seafood shop] Harley and Johns Seafood is extremely busy from today onwards,” Mr McLuskey said.
“Last year there was a queue on Christmas Eve from his door to our door the whole day - from six o’clock in the morning until three o’clock in the afternoon.
“We’ll expect the same to happen this year - if we can get power back on.”
Late on Thursday, the McLuskeys resolved to use loaned coffee machines and a borrowed supply of power from the seafood shop, and neighbouring florist Hello Petal, to get the cafe back in business on Friday.
“We need to get coffee to people!” Mr McLuskey said.
Police do not believe the cause of the fire to be suspicious.
The Broken Drum will re-open from 6am.
