Pakūranga fire: Family rebuilds popular Middle Eastern grocer after devastating blaze
Ibrahim Hatem stands in the middle of his family’s new store and can come up with only one word when asked how he feels to see it open again.
“Happy,” he says, with a hand on his chest, becoming emotional.
The 61-year-old is the co-owner of Pakūranga’s Pita House, a family business that was started about 25 years ago by Syrian brothers Hatem and Ali Hatem, and their brother-in-law Sam Saad, to help provide for their respective young families.
The well-known spot, on Cortina Place, was destroyed on January 9 after a fire started in the rangehood of the shop’s oven.
The business has long been popular among locals for supplying Middle Eastern groceries, halal meat and products, as well as freshly made pita breads, Turkish bread and other Lebanese delicacies.
On the day of the fire, Hatem described unloading two fire extinguishers on the flames before realising it could not be doused and quickly called out for members of the public who were in the shop to get out.
“I see everything in front of my eyes,” Hatem, whose second language is English, told the Herald at the time.
“[The fire] started very small, minor. I tried to put it out. I carry on ... but I can’t control it. I called straight away to the fire people.”
He described his “broken heart” at the sight.
The fire made headlines as thick black smoke could be seen from around Auckland that clear, sunny Friday. Emergency services were alerted soon after midday, minutes after professional firefighters went on strike for an hour.
Fire and Emergency later said it took half an hour for the nearest volunteer crews to arrive at the scene. Had the nearest career station, in Mt Wellington, been operating, crews would have been four minutes away.
Hatem suffered smoke inhalation and a subsequent heart attack in his battle to save the store and was taken to hospital. There were hugely emotional scenes as generations of the extended family arrived to comfort one another.
Ibrahim Hatem’s son, Ahmed Reynolds-Hatem, had been picking up supplies for the store that day in January when he got a frantic phone call from his mother, who had heard news of a blaze at the shop.
He told the Herald then that he had rushed back to the shop, only to see huge flames and black smoke everywhere.
He said of his father that day: “He’s devastated, of course. His life’s work gone up in flames.”
A celebration for all
Ten months on, Reynolds-Hatem speaks about the work devoted to getting the shop open again.
The family have been opening it section by section: the bakery, the butchery and the shop. Cortina Place is a small industrial street. Opposite the Pita House is a mosque. Next door is a Christian church.
“So Fridays and Sundays are busy as,” Reynolds-Hatem laughs.
His father’s determination to rebuild the family business was evident from the day of the fire, wanting to get back to the store almost immediately after being discharged from hospital.
“He hasn’t left Cortina Place,” Reynolds-Hatem said. “You can look at it on Google Maps. You can go through the year, and he’s just standing outside.
“He’s from the generation of guys that just don’t feel good sitting around. They need to be up and running.
“He’ll live and die by that. He’ll just keep doing what he wants, what he believes he needs to do.”
The family is gearing up for an official opening next Friday, November 13, with free kebabs and 10% off every shop. It is their way of celebrating a new beginning – sharing with their community.
Reynolds-Hatem said his father now felt a happiness and relief the family had not seen in him since the fire.
The family has received great support from long-time neighbours and regular customers. Many said they were happy to see the store reopen, as they had had to travel to South Auckland for halal meats and other Lebanese delicacies and treats.
“They say: ‘Thank goodness you’re back’.”
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