‘Suspicious’: Police investigating after Sydney business burned

Police are treating a fire which burnt out a well-known kosher restaurant in Sydney’s east as suspicious.

Police are investigating what they say is a suspicious fire after a well-known kosher restaurant in Sydney’s eastern suburbs was gutted in a blaze.

No one was injured in the fire broke out at Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in North Bondi in the early hours of Sunday.

Fire and Rescue NSW were called to the blaze, on the corner of Curlewis Street and Old South Head Road, just after 4am.

Police say they are treating the fire as suspicious. Picture: NewsWire/Monique Harmer.

Lewis’ Continental Kitchen was severely damaged in the fire. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer.

Fire and rescue and police were called to the scene just after 4am. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer.

It took 30 firefighters an hour to bring the fire under control.

The 21 residents who lived in seven units above the restaurant had to be evacuated.

Police said they were treating the fire as suspicious and were appealing for information.

Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command Inspector Ellen Jackson refused to rule out an antisemitic or political motive for the fire at this early stage on the investigation, however said police had no reason to believe the business was attacked for any specific reason.

“There’s nothing to suggest that this premises was targeted,” she said.

“I would like to suggest that there should be no community concern … we have no information to suggest there is an ongoing threat to the public.

“I’d like to also suggest that this is very early stages of the investigation. That is why I’m here today to appeal for any public assistance.”

Inspector Jackson said “a number of items” had been seized to be forensically tested, and police had spoken to “a number of people at the scene”.

Earlier, police were reportedly seen removing a jerry can from the site.

Lewis’ Continental Kitchen is a Jewish-run kosher fast food restaurant which also caters traditional Jewish menus for cultural and religious holidays including Shabbat, Sukkot, Passover and Rosh Hashana.

Police were still at the scene on Sunday afternoon. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer.

No one was injured in the fire. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer.

The westbound lane of Old South Head Road had to be closed because of the fire. By 5pm on Sunday police had left the scene and workers could be seen fitting wooden panels over the charred glass of the shopfront. Debris was strewn through the gutted interior, from food and cutlery to fallen shelving.

Originally published as ‘Suspicious’: Police investigating after Sydney business burned