A Bondi café that became a place of refuge during Sunday’s terror attack reopened early the next morning, offering a sense of normality to a community still in shock.
Lamrock Café owner Tom Pontidas told news.com.au he decided to open at 6am on Monday despite feeling shaken, believing people needed a familiar space to sit together after the attack near the beachfront Hanukkah event.
The previous evening, frightened beachgoers had rushed into the café to escape gunfire, hiding in storerooms and toilets as chaos unfolded outside.
While police remained in the area and tributes appeared along the foreshore, locals returned for breakfast and coffee, choosing to be present rather than retreat.
Mr Pontidas said the experience had been deeply emotional, but the quiet gathering of residents reflected Bondi’s determination to remain open, welcoming and united.
Source: news.com.au
