Sheffield business torched just days after successful opening

Chaska Chai, which is based on Staniforth Road, Darnall only opened on Wednesday, 22 July but was already proving popular with customers before the arson attack on Monday night (27 July).

Owner Kaleem Akhtar, who also runs Shai Buffet located behind the shop, had spent £25,000 launching his new business.

He said: “There are some horrible, jealous people. We have not had any trouble with anybody. I have been running the restaurant for a long time, seven years.

"It’s shocking to me, I can’t understand why.”

Shai Buffet remains closed because the nature of the business means the risk of virus transmission there is higher.

Already suffering from a significant drop in earnings, Kaleem now has to pay between £2,500 to £3,000 to repair the fire damage. He is also thinking of hiring a security guard, which will involve more expense.

He said: “It’s sad. I was struggling and this has made it worse. I hope it doesn’t happen again.”

A staff member on site at the time of the attack, which took place after closing time, said she saw two men running away from the scene after she was alerted to the fire.

A bottle containing petrol was later found on a kitchen counter inside Chaska Chai. The incident is now being investigated by police, Kaleem said.

He added: “Why do something like that? It's not like I’m causing problems for anyone. I’m not selling drugs, I’m selling food.

"I’m bringing people into the area from all over and they're so happy we’ve done this. Whoever has done this, they were trying to shut me down.”

The structure of the Chaska Chai building mainly consists of metal, with a wooden patio exterior, so large parts of it have not been damaged and the business is able to remain open.

A South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue spokesperson said: “Firefighters from Central and Parkway were called to Staniforth Road, Sheffield, at 1.33am.

Upon arrival they found a wood-cladded shipping container well alight. This had been dealt with by 2.01am and is thought to have been started deliberately.”