The café was scheduled to open its doors this morning at 10am, around the same time gunman Man Monis ordered them to be locked shut on an otherwise normal day in Sydney’s CBD on December 15 last year.
Inside, 18 terrified individuals were held hostage for a chilling 16 hours before what was labelled as an act of terror ended with a spray of bullets which claimed two innocent lives.
In memory of those lost, a permanent memorial for café manager Tori Johnson and barrister Katrina Dawson was unveiled this morning as a tribute.
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Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson were killed in the tragedy.
Lindt Australia chief executive Steve Loane has said the company was committed to making “today a happy day to celebrate that we’re back and we’re open with the support of all the staff”.
In a statement from Lindt Australia via their official Facebook page, Loane has said:
“We feel that reopening the Café to the public and moving forward positively is the right thing to do. After the tragic events that happened in December we discussed this reopening with our staff and gave a lot of thought to next steps. Overwhelmingly, the feeling was that reopening and moving forward is the best thing to do for everyone affected.”
Premier Mike Baird and Labor Leader Luke Foley will also be in attendance, taking time from the NSW election campaign to pay their respects and wish the staff well.
Baird recently told APP he still felt uncomfortable passing by the café, which is nearby to his office and state parliament.
“I can’t really look at the café without feelings these pangs of despair at what took place,” he said.
“I know over time that will heal but…the impacts are still pretty raw.”
Counsellors will be on site for staff, if needed.
Regular trading hours will resume tomorrow (Saturday).
