DISBELIEF
MASSIVE SETBACK FOR OWNER AS RESTAURANT DAMAGED BY FIRE WAS DUE TO OPEN FOR FIRST TIME
ROY KUNG looks on in disbelief at the remnants of burnt bins following an arson-related incident that caused his restaurant to close – before he even got to open it for the first time.
AN ARSON-related incident in which bins were set alight in Gorey has forced a restaurant to close just hours before it was due to open its doors for the first time.
Roy Kung, from Malaysia, was due to open his new Cilantr Asian restaurant in Market Square last Tuesday, however, sometime in the early hours of that morning bins that were located adjacent to the building were set alight and the subsequent blaze caused extensive fire and smoke damage to his premises.
Speaking to this newspaper Mr Kung said he couldn’t believe what had happened after he and his girlfriend, and his business partner, Marcel, worked hard to get the building ready.
‘I still can’t believe it has happened,’ he said.
‘When I came down, even this morning, I expected to see it as it was and ready to open; it’s hard to believe it.’
Another man, Piotr Talarek, who lives with his wife and family above the restaurant, was awoken by someone kicking their door at around 1.30 am and when he looked out the window a man shouted at him to get out because there was a fire.
‘I immediately woke my wife and the kids and we got out,’ said Mr Talarek.
‘I knocked on our neighbours door to wake him up as well and when he got out he alerted his friend who lives next door.’
Jackie Miller was due to start work in the restaurant and said she is devastated that her job and those of her employees are gone.
However, Mr Kung is determined that the restaurant will open and said: ‘I am determined that it will open but this is a real blow. It will take a long time to get it back ready again.’
A spokesperson for Gorey Gardai said: ‘It appears the wheelie bins were set on fire outside it’.
There was extensive smoke damage to the inside of the building and one door frame burned down. Anyone with information is asked to contact Gorey Garda Station, in confidence, on 053-9430690.
‘I IMMEDIATELY WOKE MY WIFE AND THE KIDS AND WE GOT OUT’ – PIOTR TALAREK, PICTURED LEFT, WHO LIVES ABOVE THE RESTAURANT