Family-Run Kilburn Café Ravaged by Overnight Fire
A beloved family-run café in Kilburn has been left in ruins following a devastating overnight fire that broke out in the early hours of Monday morning. The Cheerio Juice Bar, located near Kilburn station, was completely destroyed in the blaze, which started at around 2am on February 2.
Heartbreak for Sister Owners
Kadija Nakhli, 34, who runs the business with her sister Raja Nakhli, 46, described the moment she discovered the destruction. "It was devastating, I broke down as soon as I saw it," she told local media. "They calmed me down a little bit but I was crying and heartbroken. I knew if I called my family they'd be even more heartbroken."
The sisters received the distressing call at approximately 2am, alerting them to the fire that would ultimately consume their five-year-old business. "I got a call at 2am. There were lots of police cars, trucks, firefighters and they didn't have much to go on," Kadija recalled. "They said there was a lot of smoke and fire and there might be electricity fault."
Emergency Response and Investigation
London Fire Brigade deployed significant resources to tackle the inferno. A spokesperson confirmed: "Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to a shop fire at Kilburn rail station on Kilburn High Road. Most of a shop was destroyed by fire."
The fire crews, arriving from West Hampstead, Willesden, Paddington and North Kensington stations, managed to bring the blaze under control by 3.23am. However, the damage was already extensive, with the café completely ravaged and a 25-metre safety cordon established around the site.
Investigators have determined the fire was accidental, caused by "combustible items placed too close to a chiller unit."
Community Impact and Uncertain Future
The destruction has left the café's staff without immediate income and the family owners facing an uncertain future. "It really will impact the family and it was a source of income for us and staff," Kadija explained. "So it would be really sad to let the staff know they might not have a job when we were so happy to serve the community and help with the economy."
The business, which operated from a Transport for London owned property, now awaits insurance assessment before any decisions about rebuilding can be made. In the interim, the sisters have launched a fundraising campaign to help cover staff costs and ongoing bills during this difficult period.
Photographs from the scene show the café completely burnt out and cordoned off with hazard tape, a stark reminder of the sudden loss experienced by this family business that had become a valued part of the local Kilburn community.
