The Lindt cafe in Sydney’s CBD will reopen on Friday, three months after a deadly siege claimed the lives of two hostages and a gunman.
Steve Loane, CEO Lindt Australia, confirmed via Facebook the Martin Place cafe would open its doors at 10am.
A plaque inside the cafe will commemorate Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson who were killed there along with gunman Man Haron Monis in December last year.
Loane, says the overwhelming feeling was to create a permanent memorial.
“It was felt this was the right thing to do, to remember Tori and Katrina and their spirit,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
Loane thanked the public for an outpouring of support since the siege.
“This has been an extremely difficult period for so many people impacted by those tragic events,” he said.
“It has truly been a source of strength for everyone and has helped us in our decision to reopen the cafe and move forward.”
Loane asked the public to respect the privacy of staff and let them enjoy the job they love so much.
NSW Premier Mike Baird will be one of the first to visit the cafe, which will return to standard trading hours from Saturday onwards.
Charity pages have been set up in memory of Johnson and Dawson:
https://beyondblueinmemoriam.everydayhero.com/au/torijohnson
