Felix runs a cafe and is loved by everyone in the community… now he’s been forced to shut down after a callous act from a stranger

This is the appalling moment a beloved Aussie café owner was viciously bashed for standing up to a stranger who was causing trouble. 

Felix Gratano, 40, was working his coffee machine at Lakeside Café in Gosford, on the NSW Central Coast, at about 10am on Friday when a man entered the business from a nearby community hub that serves the homeless.

Mr Gratano told Daily Mail Australia that the local was fuming because the service was closed at the time.

‘Obviously, he had the sh*t*, and he’s come passing (by), just being verbally abusive while I was at the front of the store with my wife,’ he said.

Mr Gratano said the man had acted aggressively on numerous occasions recently, including the week before when the man had thrown a ‘wet floor’ sign into their café and called them names.

Mr Gratano had let previous incidents go but, fed up with the man’s bad behaviour, decided it was time to take a stand for himself, his partner and their business.

‘I just said, “mate, you know, there’s no reason to speak to us this way, if you can refrain. In the future, you mind your business, I mind mine.

‘I just thought, if I don’t say something it’s never going to stop.’

Felix Gratano, 40, doesn’t feel comfortable reopening his cafe after a vile alleged assault in Gosford last week

The 40-year-old business owner was left battered after refusing to retaliate to the alleged assailant

The 40-year-old business owner was left battered after refusing to retaliate to the alleged assailant

‘I was really nice about it, but it stirred something up in him.

‘Then he starts going off and saying, “You’ve been calling me this and calling me that you’ve been calling me a fa****,” when we haven’t. He’s obviously got troubles.’

Mr Gratano alleged the local then charged towards him, kicking over an A-frame store sign and screaming.

The business owner claimed the man yelled at him: ‘I’m going to punch you.’ 

Mr Gratano claims the man launched a hard hook and punched him in the side of the head, knocking him to the ground.

‘It wasn’t too bad in the sense that I said, “Okay, I can take these punches, it’s okay”,’ Mr Gratano said.

A neighbouring shop window was damaged in the bustle of the alleged attack before the alleged attacker continued to punch the business owner

A neighbouring shop window was damaged in the bustle of the alleged attack before the alleged attacker continued to punch the business owner

Mr Gratano’s quick-thinking wife Mia, 44, began recording the incident.

The store owner decided not to retaliate, saying he didn’t know how the man would react or if he would hurt him too much.

‘I just kind of tried to protect myself as much as possible,’ Mr Gratano said.

But then the alleged offender turned on Ms Gratano when he saw her recording.

‘He tried to go for her, so I did get in the way, and then I kind of grabbed him and pulled him my way,’ Mr Gratano said.

‘He kept going for me, which was fine, and we went through a glass window which was next door.’

Mr Gratano alleged the man then sat on his chest and continued to rain down blows.

He said he simply protected his face until a growing crowd of people spooked the alleged offender and he fled.

Police found the man just minutes later at a unit on Showground Road, Gosford.

There, however, the alleged rampage continued and cops were forced to use pepper spray to bring him under control.

The alleged offender, 40, was then charged with a litany of offences including a stalking and intimidation related charge, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, destroy or damage property. 

Police also charged him with hinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty and assault police officer without actual bodily harm.

He was refused bail to appear before Parramatta Local Court on Saturday 11 January 2025, where he was formally refused bail to appear before Gosford Local Court on Thursday. 

The community has rallied around the small café owners as they take a week off work after the alleged attack

The community has rallied around the small café owners as they take a week off work after the alleged attack

Mr Gratano said he couldn’t thank police enough, and that they did their job ‘very, very well’.

He said he’s closed his café for the week while he recovers.

He opened the business on Monday, but found the work too physically and mentally taxing following the beating.

He said he may yet extend the closure depending on the outcome of the alleged attacker’s bail hearing on Thursday.

‘We still don’t feel safe. If he would come out, we won’t reopen our café,’ Mr Gratano said.

On Tuesday the café left a notice on the community Facebook page, saying they appreciated patrons’ additional support on Monday. 

‘However, the most important factor is Felix’s, Mia’s and our staff’s safety. Feeling safe at work is something that we never want to put aside, and this has not been the case for us,’ it read.

Many locals wrote messages of support for the owner. 

‘Your safety is paramount. Miss you guys,’ one man said.

Others offered any assistance they could provide.

A GoFundMe has been created to support the couple and their business while they can’t open their doors.  

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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk