You often hear of local Lismore businesses that have been hit by a big flood, borrow money to reopen or organise a payment plan to pay off destroyed stock. One business in particular, not named, was flooded in 2017, paid off its debt in 2021, only to be hammered in 2022, for the cycle to continue.

Outsiders would say business owners in flood-affected parts of Lismore are crazy to expose themselves to the same outcome year after year. But Lismore people are a resilient bunch who limit their financial risk by building back better.

Sony Singh, owner of Masala Fusion Indian Restaurant on Keen Street, is one of those resilient types.

You may remember that Sony opened a small Indian Grocery Store on the other side of his restaurant in August 2020.

Business was going well until February 28 2022. Sony lost all his stock, even after it was moved to higher ground in the building.

"We lost too much in 2022 to reopen the grocery store," Sony said, "We still have some suppliers that we are paying back slowly. There's about $50,000 to $60,000 to pay back to six or seven different suppliers."

There was some leniency from the suppliers; Sony could start paying them back once his Masala Fusion Indian Restaurant was reopened (November 2022), so he had some cash flow.

"Another year, and they will be cleared," Sony declared.

Straight after the big flood, Sony knew he wasn't going to reopen the grocery store, so he started thinking about what he would do with the space.

"After the flood, we lost the middle wall. It was damaged by the fridge and freezer that were here. They lifted up with the water, hit the wall and then got stuck behind the door. So we had to take the wall down. It opened up the space.

"I didn't know what to do. Then, slowly, we (Sony's wife Erin and Sony) came up with an idea to use the open space. We said, let's see if we can do something here. So, we just thought we have a kitchen that survived, and we have a large space for some private functions."

(Erin, Sony, Alba and Noor Singh)

Sony got to work creating a function room with "a bit of a vibe, a bright space where people can have fun together".

"The artwork is done by all local artists, and the paint is waterproof. You have to be prepared, from what we experienced. The floor is different than before; the ceiling is fibro sheet, and we've used sound absorption material to reduce the echo in the room when you have a lot of people."

Sony understands that not everyone likes Indian cuisine, so he will cater for whatever requirements you may have. His background in food is varied and includes being an Italian chef in Melbourne and seven years as a baker.

"I have noticed, after working for the last 15 years in this industry, that if, for example, you have 40 guests, not all 40 will like Indian food. So, we have an option for them. We can cater for a Western food mix or baked items. I made pizza the other day for my daughter's birthday in here."

"We can do a variety of finger food, we can do vegetarian or non-vegetarian, meat and red meat, everything. We want to give people plenty of options for the entrees and main courses."

Masala is a fully licensed premises, or, if you wish, you can also BYO.

If you are holding a Christmas party, a birthday party or a special celebration, the Masala Fusion Indian Function Room is now open for bookings. Call Sony on 0449 254 882.

Masala Fusion Indian Restaurant is at 171 Keen Street, Lismore.