Lentil as Anything Footscray closes because stingy customers refuse to pay

STINGY diners refusing to pay have forced the closure of one of Melbourne’s best-loved charity restaurants after nine years.

Lentil As Anything volunteer manager Hafsa Touqeer says the restaurant has done everything possible to stay open and the community are to blame for the closure.

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GENEROSITY has come at a high price for a Footscray not-for-profit restaurant, which has been forced to close.

Lentil As Anything shut its doors on May 19, after customers continued to exploit its “pay as you feel” philosophy.

Cheapskate diners have left the popular restaurant with no choice but to close.

The volunteer-run eatery, which operated education programs and aimed to help migrants learn new skills, struggled to make ends meet when the bulk of its 200 daily diners refused to contribute.

Have your say: Is the Footscray community to blame for Lentil As Anything’s closure? Leave a comment below.

Volunteer manager Hafsa Touqeer said she was disappointed and heartbroken to see the Barkly St staple disappear after nine years.

“We have tried for months to make it work and did everything we could have done, but it’s not our fault — it’s on the Footscray community,” Ms Touqeer said.

Shanaka Fernando founded Lentil As Anything, which still has restaurants in Abbotsford, Thornbury and St Kilda.

She said volunteers begged for donations, but it was not enough.

“I’m very upset, our whole team is upset because Lentil As Anything Footscray was a family to us,” she said.

“We didn’t want to shut down. We wanted to help the community, but it just didn’t happen and it’s sad.”

Ms Touqeer said they had raised $5000 on a GoFundMe page, which covered the store’s bills and costs, but it only lasted two months.

The manager said she hoped to find another job doing community work.