Henderson locals offer to help Pizza Bella owner after store gutted by fire

The owner of a popular pizza store, who watched in horror as fire tore through his beloved business, has been humbled by the outpouring of love from his community.

Savi Arora, the owner of west Auckland pizza shop Pizza Bella, has received dozens of messages of support and offers to help clean up the Henderson Valley store.

The store was gutted by fire in the early hours of Saturday morning with early indications it was an electrical fire - rather than a pizza oven or fryer.

“My neighbour who lives upstairs at the dairy next to my shop called me 4.15am and said there was a lot of smoke coming from the shop,” Savi said.

“I grabbed the car keys and ran.”

Savi said he got to the store and watched in disbelief as large flames tore through the restaurant he established.

“I saw a whole lot of smoke and fire all around the shop. It was just too much.”

Six fire trucks and 24 crew attended the fire and kept it from spreading to the dairy on one side and a bottle store on the other.

Six fire trucks and 24 crew attended the call out to Pizza Bella in Henderson. Photo / Hayden Woodward

A couple who own the nearby dairy live upstairs with three small children.

“They heard the smoke alarm and were able to call me and 111 and get to safety,” Savi said.

“I am just so happy they all were all fine and no one was hurt.”

Savi said he and Shivani were devastated to lose the business they “had poured our hearts into.

“We set it up three years ago and I designed and helped build and paint the walls,” Savi said.

Savi said the pair had worked hard to establish the pizza stores that also sold burgers and fried chicken.

“I work 15 hours a day there seven days a week and the community was loving our store, they love our food and they loved us being there.

“We were very emotionally attached to the store and the community.”

Savi said he was devastated when the fire crew told him everything was destroyed.

“The fire got up to 750 degrees and everything is gone,” Savi said.

“They said ‘Savi lock the door - there is nothing left there for you.’”

Since the fire the couple has received dozens of offers of help to clean up and others have offered meals.

“The community has been so lovely and I have had so many nice messages.”

“We have another store in Sunnyvale and people are saying ‘don’t worry Savi, we will come and see you at the Sunnyvale shop.’”

Savi said he would focus his attention on the Sunnyvale store ‘Burger Bella’ but hoped to one day rebuild Pizza Bella in Henderson.