A COFFEE shop owner whose cafe was demolished following a dramatic fire six months ago has said he may have to wait two more years before he has his business back.

The Station Coffee Shop in High Street, Newbridge, was ravaged and destroyed by the fire on February 11, and had to be knocked down that weekend due to the extent of the structural damage.

The owner, Royston Lewis, said at the time he was determined to get his cafe back to how it was.

But now, he says he has been told it could be over two years before that happens.

He said: “It’s all going through the insurers and because the St David's Hospice Care shop was also demolished they want to do both buildings at the same time.

“I have been told that it could be over two years before we get it back to how it was but I am determined we will have it back exactly how it was.”

Six months after the fire, Mr Lewis has accommodated all of his staff at his other business, Victoria’s Cafe in Victoria Terrace, with the staff sharing the available hours.

But he called Station Coffee Shop a “thriving” business which picked up a lot of passing trade, which he doesn’t get at his other cafe.

Mr Lewis, who had owned the Station Coffee Shop for eight years, added: “We hope to get a regeneration grant to improve Victoria’s Cafe, which would really help grow that business.”

During the fire, five shops had to be evacuated due to heavy smoke from the blaze which is reported to have started in St David’s Foundation charity shop and spread to Station Coffee Shop.

There were 36 firefighters called to tackle the fire which started at around 12.25pm on the Wednesday.

Crews from Aberbargoed, Risca, New Inn, Abertillery, Caerphilly and Maindee attended the scene and battled the blaze until 10.30pm.

There were no casualties as a result of the fire and a spokesman for South Wales Fire and Rescue said the fire was under control by 3.40pm but crews remained at the scene.

They returned in the early hours of Thursday morning to dampen down.

A spokesman for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the cause of the fire was accidental.