The co-owner of Greek restaurant in Yarraville damaged by a suspicious fire on Easter Monday, said it’s devastating to have suffered a second arson attack in less than a year.
A white SUV was rammed into the rear entrance of Eleni’s Kitchen and Bar on Canterbury Street and set alight shortly before 4.30am on April 21.
Fire crews arrived soon after and required breathing apparatus to enter the building and prevent the fire from spreading to neighbouring businesses.
The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire which is being investigated by police.
The attack on the restaurant came just days after it hosted the launch of co-owner Eleftheria Amanatidis’ memoir and cookbook, Ela na Fame, which she wrote while the businesses was closed following an arson attack on June 28 last year.
On that occasion, arsonists attacked the front entrance of the restaurant on Yarraville’s Anderson Street shopping strip, causing extensive damage which tool until November to repair.
In a statement, Ms Amanatidis said the latest attack was far less serious with only an outdoor dining area affected.
“The main dining room and kitchen of Eleni’s Kitchen and Bar, along with Jimmy’s Deli next door, have not been damaged,” she said, adding that all customers with bookings had been contacted and they were working to reopen as soon as it was safe to do so.
“Resilience is in my blood,” Ms Amanatidis declared.
“Our family has been running businesses in Yarraville since 1971, and that 54-year history gives us the determination to face whatever challenges come our way.”
Ms Amanatidis opened Eleni’s Kitchen and Bar 2018 and co-owns it and the neighbouring Jimmy’s Deli, with her sister Natalie.
Their grandparents Jimmy and Eleni ran a tavern and a butcher shop in Yarraville in the 1970’s, before Jimmy became the long serving president of the Yarraville Glory soccer club.
Their great grandfather Antonios Amanatidis was the founding priest of the nearby St Nicholas Greek Orthodox church.
Speaking to Star Weekly at the book launch last week, Ms Amanatidis said writing it provided a welcome distraction following last year’s fire.
“Obviously that was such a hard time for me and I was struggling to pick myself up and the book sort of reaffirmed for me that this is why I am doing what I am doing,” she said.
“That’s sort of my silver lining out of the fire.”
