Cafe fire leaves casuals without work

Casual staff employed at popular main street cafe Urban Bean have found themselves without much-needed shifts following the fire, which has so far been listed as accidental.

A stack of very hot towels put away directly from the dryer is believed to be the cause, in what chef Laurie Posa called a “moment of spontaneous combustion.”

“It works much like haystacks do, in the sense that these very hot tea towels get folded and put away and build a core of heat in the centre,” Mr Posa said.

“I’ve experienced it once before in my career in another kitchen, and it’s just one of those unfortunate things that can happen when you have hot, humid weather and a warm kitchen.”

While insurance investigations and repair work are carried out on the cafe, casual staff were left without the shifts to which they had been rostered.

“We want to help our Bean family as much as we can, so we are holding a ‘fire sale’ on Friday morning to raise funds for those staff who are suddenly without work,” Mr Posa said.

Staff at the cafe say support from the local community had been swift and heartwarming.

“We really want to get back in the kitchen and behind the counter but until then we are so amazed by the kindness we’ve received,” said one Bean staffer as the group inspected the taped-off exterior.

The owners of the Bean were quick to put the call out to other local businesses to seek shifts for their kitchen and waitstaff, and staffers say the community has been “outstanding” in their support of their cause.

The fire sale will offer a pop-up op shop, live music and a sausage sizzle as well as art, clothing and other snacks and treats from the Bean crew to raise funds for the casual employees while the repair work is carried out.

The ‘Fire at the Bean’ Fundraiser kicks off from 8am this Friday, January 20 at the Urban Bean on Bussell Highway and will continue until stocks run out.