'Mindless thug' smashes window of struggling Portobello cafe

June Robertson, 56 has run The Cake and Candy Tearoom on Portobello High Street with her 26-year-old son Antony Faver for the last nine years.

At 8am on Sunday, November 8, Ms Robertson arrived at work early to prepare the homemade tablet she had left to set overnight.

But the shocked businesswoman was greeted with a floor strewn with shattered glass and a tearoom as cold as ice due to the large hole in her shopfront window.

With no clues left behind and ‘no hope’ in identifying the culprit Ms Robertson suspects the damage is a result of a ‘mindless’ thug who saw an opportunity to cause some trouble and took it.

She said: “Some mindless thug came along and to them it was just a window but to us it’s a week of rent.”

Adding: “The fact that this all happened happened meters away from Portobello police station speaks volumes.”

Now facing a £400 bill to repair the broken widow the distressed owner said the devastating event couldn't have come at a worse time.

Ms Robertson said: “Yesterday morning I just felt like giving up, I have been working 12-hour-days and for what? For the likes of this to happen.

Adding: “Today was meant to be my first day off in 14 days, the whole thing just makes me want to cry.”

Portobello High Street is home to several independent shops all of which have been hit hard by the results of Covid-19.

Having endured four months of closure many businesses now face an uncertain future with shops, eateries and beauty salons all struggling to make ends meet.

To try and make it through the lockdown Ms Robertson and Mr Fevar have been using their days off to host pop-up takeaways in shopping centres around Scotland to boost income.

But the family-owned business was not prepared for the added financial burden of fixing a broken shopfront.

While their situation is “really disheartening” Ms Robertson is fighting to keep her family’s teashop running.

She has set up a GoFundMe page to raise the cash needed to fix the broken glass.

Launched at 9pm on Sunday the page has received £135 of donations in less than 11-hours.

Ms Robertson said: “I am delighted with the response. I set up the page on a whim because one of my friends suggested it to me.

“It’s a big favour, asking someone to reach inside their pockets, and it is our responsibility at the owners to pay for it but I thought I’d just try and see.”

Ms Roberson said the response has been ‘overwhelming’ and has thanked every person who has donated, whether it’s a cafe regular or a stranger.

She added: “The community in Portobello has been wonderful. I care a lot about this community and I don't think for one minute that the damage was caused by someone from Portobello.

“Our business is right next to the bus stop and you have people from all over passing through but I cannot start accusing people, I have no idea who would have done this.”

To donate to The Cake and Candy Tearoom’s GoFundMe page CLICK HERE.

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