FREDERIC SERRE
The 1510 West

Police suspect the fire that gutted a popular Dollard des Ormeaux restaurant and severely damaged two neighbouring businesses early Dec. 6 was deliberately set, marking the second case of arson to strike the strip mall on Sunnybrooke Boulevard since 2021.

Police and firefighters received a 911 call at about 1:30 a.m. about a fire that was raging inside the Dawat restaurant, located in the commercial strip near Spring Garden Road. Witnesses told police that they saw two individuals throwing Molotov cocktails through the window of the restaurant before fleeing the scene on foot.

While no injuries were reported, damage to the strip mall was extensive, with a dentist’s office and a textile shop suffering heavy damage. The same strip mall was hit by arsonists on Sept. 8, 2021, when flames gutted a pizzeria, causing heavy damage. No arrests were made.

The owners of Indian restaurant took to social media on Sunday, vowing to reopen and urging anyone with information to contact police, adding: “We ask anyone with additional information to speak to them. Thankfully, nobody was injured. However, there is significant damage to the restaurant.”