A TWO-YEAR nightmare for a cafe owner whose business was destroyed in the riots has finally come to an end following battles with insurers and masses of red tape.

Zakar Hussain celebrated the reopening of his Green Mango Cafe in Ealing Green with loyal customers on Friday last week.

His dream of running his own cafe was shattered in August 2011, just four months after opening. It was flooded by firemen dousing the Ealing Green Local Supermarket (now a SPAR) next door which was torched by thugs.

Mr Husain suffered a long wait for an insurance payout and was left about £50,000 out of pocket when it came. He faced bills he could not pay, rows with contractors and left ‘up to his eyeballs in debt’. But that was all behind him as he served smoothies and Pakistani street food with a beaming smile.

He said: “It’s been an up and down rollercoaster but I was determined. There were times when I thought ‘will I be able to get here?’ But I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved. It’s taken longer than I’d anticipated but I’m really excited and hope I can draw a line and move on.

“I’m really grateful to those who have supported me and given me the emotional support which I needed when I was low."

He has hired six staff to help him run the cafe which opened just days before his 37th birthday on Monday.

He added: "That was a big goal for me to get it reopened before my birthday. It’s the best birthday I could wish for."

It is the last business to reopen out of all those hit by the riots.

Julian Bell, leader of Ealing Council which provided a £20,000 emergency loan and practical support, said: "I’m delighted the long awaited day has arrived. It’s unfortunate it’s taken so long and I think there’s lessons to learn about how the innocent victims were treated. I’m really pleased for Zak and hope everyone will come and support him."