Local business partners lose their popular restaurant in fire

Gabriella Cotumaccio and Tracy Sparrow have recounted how their lives changed forever when they watched in horror as their business went up in flames.

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As co-owners of popular Bedfordview restaurant, Happily Ever Laughter, the pair told the NEWS that everything after the afternoon of September 12 still felt like a bad dream.

They equated losing their restaurant to suffering a death.

“It’s terrifying, you don’t ever think it could happen to you. You hear about it and feel for another restaurant owner that has gone through it, but you don’t think you’ll ever be in that position.

“We are hurt and gutted. It’s all been a roller coaster of emotions and there’s a mountain sitting before us,” Tracy said.

“We are devastated. At this point, we are taking it one day at a time. There is so much to do and so much going on.”

Gabriella was at home when she received a call from a neighbour that the shop was on fire.

“It took me three minutes to get to Happily Ever Laughter. The flames were so vivid. There was nothing I could do.

I tried to run into the shop but officers from CPG Security stopped me. We tried to get water, but there was no water on Riley Road that day because of a burst pipe.”

The fire department arrived on the scene 25 minutes after Gabriella.

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“We watched our lives burn to the ground, right in front of us,” Tracy said.

“The fire started in the main restaurant area. Thankfully it didn’t get to the kitchen and didn’t touch the gas.”

Happily ever Laughter was the product of an 18-year friendship between the two women.

“Gabriella used to own a restaurant in Bedford Centre and that’s where we met. When I fell pregnant I told Gabriella that there was nowhere to go with young children,” Tracy said.

In 2014 Happily Ever Laughter opened its doors.

“It was a brand-new concept back then. We didn’t know if it’s going to work and we didn’t know if people will support it,” Tracy said.

“But you don’t know until you give it a try.”

The two built the restaurant from the ground and transformed the old house on Riley Road into the hidden gem the community of Bedfordview loved.

“Everything that we did in that business we did from the heart. We created a home away from home for our clients. It was a very special little place,” Tracy said.

Together, Gabriella and Tracy have watched countless families grow.

“We watch our clients grow right in front of us. The hardest part is letting go. It wasn’t just a little shop it was our everything and it wasn’t a job for us, it was a passion.”

Gabriella added that in the last two years the duo had thought of calling it quits, but they pushed through for the sake of their staff.

“We were just coming right after Covid. The business was picking up nicely and we were so happy. We were fully booked until December with functions.

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“We’ve made contact with most of those who had booked, but we lost all our records in the fire. Anyone who had booked a function and has not heard from us can call us at any time,” Tracy said.

Gabriella said they had received hundreds of messages from the community.

“People wanted to know how they could help, but we only have one request. If there are any restaurants in the area that are willing to employ our staff we would be so grateful,” she said.

“We do not want money, not a single cent. We just want to make sure that our staff are looked after as 99% of our staff have been with us since day one and for them even those who only worked weekends, Happily Ever Laughter was their only source of income.”

abriella said the tenants on site are also looking for new premises.

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She thanked the community who offered support and assistance throughout the ordeal.

“CPG was phenomenal as so were Jill Humphreys and our neighbours.

“Many people stopped and offered assistance.

“As shattered as we are, we remember those things.

“We had no idea we had such an impact on the community,” she said.

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