Hog’s Breath Coffs Harbour owner reacts to homeless woman facebook post

A post about a homeless woman has blown up and Hog’s Breath owner Jason Krishnan says there’s a lot more to the story:

The owner of Coffs Harbour Hog’s Breath says he is being pressured to turn away a homeless woman he has been helping ever since he took over the Jetty cafe four years ago.

Jason Krishnan says Jetty Village Shopping Centre management has repeatedly warned him not to help the woman he knows simply as Kate.

She is often seen sitting or lying down near the bus shelter across from Hog’s Breath on Harbour Drive or over on the Collingwood Street side near the backpackers.

Like many communities on the Mid North Coast, homelessness is a huge issue of concern in Coffs Harbour.

An area known as tent city behind the Coffs Harbour Neighbourhood Centre.

Initially he ignored the requests to stop helping her out, but Jason says centre management have stepped up the pressure and when a staff member was observed refusing to help Kate out, a customer posted about the situation.

The post was shared widely in various community groups causing a backlash against the store which Jason says has been devastating for business with customers boycotting the cafe and bombarding him with abusive calls and messages.

He even claims a new head chef was lined up to take a position there but pulled out due to the negative publicity.

Jason says Kate has always been very calm and keeps to herself but he recognises she goes to the toilet out in the open and that is part of the problem management has with her being in the area.

Hog's Breath owner Jason Krishnan. Picture: Janine Watson

Centre manager Lorenz Beckett was contacted but refused to comment on the matter.

According to Jason, Kate has family in the area but chooses not to live with them.

He and his manager Mazen Itani have both tried to help her out with clothes or to arrange a shower or short term accommodation at the backpackers but she refuses.

“She’s very peaceful - she does her own thing. Apart from going to the toilet she’s not causing a problem,” Jason said.

“She’s never once asked for money or anything like that - she just takes food.”

When the Coffs Coast Advocate interviewed Mazen and Jason, Kate was not in the area and Mazen said he hadn’t seen her in three days but that was not unusual.

With big changes on the way across the entire jetty precinct and foreshore area, his lease includes a demolition clause.

And with these latest development Jason says he is reconsidering taking on a longer lease and is even considering legal action against centre management.