Melbourne earthquake: Betty’s Burgers Windsor damaged, 100 Chapel St buildings impacted

Hard-hit Chapel St traders, already battling from Covid lockdowns are wondering “what next?” after being rattled by an earthquake.

Workers assess the damage at Betty’s Burgers after Melbourne’s earthquake on Wednesday morning. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Beleaguered Chapel Street traders are reeling from Melbourne’s 5.8 magnitude earthquake with reports about 100 buildings have been impacted in the famous shopping strip.

Windsor’s Betty’s Burgers restaurant in Windsor was the hardest hit, with a wall collapsing and bricks from the second floor of the building strewn across the road.

The strip’s Coles supermarket in Prahran was also damaged when the earthquake hit about 9.15am on Wednesday, with debris from its fasacde falling into the street.

A Covid-19 vaccination hub was also closed at the Prahran Town Hall but will re-open on Thursday following a Stonnington Council inspection.

Chapel Street Precinct general manager Chrissie Maus said she believed about 100 buildings would require safety checks and assessments following the earthquake, many with heritage facades.

Ms Maus said she had received calls from roughly 60 traders who had been impacted in some way by the earthquake, including cracks in buildings or power outages.

Police on Chapel St, Windsor after Melbourne’s 5.8 magnitude earthquake on September 22, 2021. Picture: Mark Stewart

Betty’s Burgers on Chapel St suffered huge damage after Melbourne’s earthquake on September 22. Picture: Mark Stewart

She said the earthquake was another blow to traders already struggling with Melbourne’s lockdown and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It’s just one thing after another, they are in shock and scared as much as I am,” she said.

“The amount of smoke and noise was scary and frightening … we are glad no traders or Chapel St patrons were hurt.

“Chapel St can’t take much more, and we need everyone to again support local after another terrifying ordeal.”

Stonnington Mayor Kate Hely took to her Facebook page to share pictures of the damage near Betty’s Burgers and provide an on-the ground update.

A laneway near Prahran Square and the Woolworths supermarket was also blocked off.

Cr Hely said council workers were “out assessing the damage and arranging engineering assessments”.

“Fire trucks everywhere. Stay safe everyone,” she wrote.

Betty’s Burgers managing director Troy McDonagh said no staff members were injured in the earthquake as the store had not opened for the day.

Mr McDonagh likened the area to like “a war zone” as he assessed the damage at lunchtime.

He said the store was likely to be closed for four months and its 60 casual staff would be redeployed to other stores while the Windsor store was rebuilt.

“They’re gutted (the staff), but at the same time they are blessed that they weren’t inside the building at the time,” Mr McDonagh said

“We’ll absolutely come back bigger and better, we love the community here in Windsor, and we can’t wait to start serving again.”

A Coles spokeswoman said debris from the building’s facade fell into the street and there was minor damage to the supermarket’s exterior.

The spokeswoman said nobody was injured in the incident and shoppers and staff were evacuated safely.

She said the store would reopen when it was safe to do so and regular shoppers could visit nearby stores in Balaclava and St Kilda while it was being repaired.

Stonnington Council confirmed the earthquake had caused “significant damage to many buildings throughout Stonnington, in particular the Chapel St area” in an update on its website.

The council confirmed it had inspected the Prahran Market and declared it safe.

It has sent out its building surveyors and traffic management teams to assist with the clean-up, and is working with police and emergency services “to assess damage and make sites secure and safe where possible”.

“We’re still learning about the damage caused throughout Stonnington and are responding to areas of clear need with a clear focus on keeping people and businesses safe,” the council wrote.

It urged anyone who thought their homes or buildings had been damaged by the earthquake to leave and contact the SES for assistance.