The owners of the East Gambier Fish Shop have advised customers that it remains open for business despite being boarded up after the windows were smashed.
East Gambier Fish Shop owner Pete, who did not want his last name published, recently painted a ‘WE ARE OPEN’ sign out the front after customers were uncertain if the shop was still open.
The windows were smashed on August 29, leaving Pete out of pocket and frustrated.
“It is a massive inconvenience, we shut for two weeks just due to safety,” he said.
“It is such a low-life act doing it to local businesses who were impacted by COVID-19.
“The first two windows were smashed and then a week after the rest was smashed.”
Pete said in the first incident the windows were smashed with limestone rocks and the second time round they were smashed with rocks from the rail trail.
With few leads for police, Pete is now in the process of getting the windows replaced.
He said sales had declined since the incident however they were beginning to increase since painting the sign out the front.
“We have dropped heaps, we have lost more than half of sales,” he said.
“But it is slowly picking back up.”
The store has received many supportive comments from their customers on its Facebook page during the difficult circumstances and Pete thanked all their customers for their support.
