Ali Cheema, ‘Grandma’ Alumita Dawai, Terri Bolatolu, Sevi Dawai and Mohammed Cheema celebrate the opening of Bubu’s Feast and Kava Bar. Photo: Supplied.
A Fijian woman who came to Griffith to pick fruit 35 years ago has fulfilled a longtime dream by opening an Islander shop and kava bar in town with her grandson.
Bubu’s Feast and Kava Bar started trading at East Griffith shops on 16 March. The ‘one-stop shop for all your Polynesian needs’ features walls covered with spectacular murals and sells hot meals, imported groceries and kava, a substance made from the ground roots of a pepper plant found in the South Pacific.
“Our story started when our grandmother came to Griffith as a fruit picker, where she stayed for 17 years and developed great friendships with the Islander community,” co-owner Ali Cheema said.
“She then moved to Sydney and we opened the store Bubu’s Island Feast in Granville about a year and a half ago.
“My grandma said, ‘We have to do something for Griffith, there’s a lot of our people there; the community is so loving’. For us to come six hours from Sydney to open this store is a testimony to her love to Griffith and desire to give back to the people here.”
Terri Bolatolu in front of mural art created by Bill Stroulios. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
‘Bubu’ means grandmother in the Fijian language.
The store is open seven days from 9 am to late at night and Mr Cheema recommends people come and try kava.
“We want to get our community away from the alcohol-fuelled violence that sometimes gives us a bad name. Kava has the opposite effect to booze; it calms your body down and gives you the best sleep you’ve ever had. We don’t offer alcohol at our store because you can’t sell kava and alcohol on the same premises,” he said.
“All the kava we have comes through a licensed importer; they get the most accredited kava brands; we have the iPhone of kava.
“We also sell all Polynesian items, seafood, corn beef … 90 per cent of the stock we have is imported from the islands – it’s things you can’t find at Coles and Woolworths.”
Islander-style music plays at the venue and people are encouraged to come for an after-work chill and enjoy kava. There is a mural that features the flags of all the Polynesian countries and you can also buy Islander-themed shirts.
Store manager Terri Bolatolu says the hot meals served are also something different.
“All foods are served with cassava [a root vegetable] and sweet potatoes. We have fish with taro leaves, chicken chop suey and we have raw fish which is not really raw; it’s cooked in lemon juice,” she said.
“There was no hot spot for us Islanders before in Griffith; I’m so pleased we can now offer one.”
Griffith has a growing Polynesian population who hail from countries such as Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands. Historically, many have worked on farms, but an increasing number of professionals and tradespeople have come from the islands.
Mr Cheema is mapping the expansion of his stores into regional Australia.
“We already have plans in the pipelines to expand to Wagga and Tamworth. We hope to go interstate by the start of next year.”
For now, his focus is on Griffith.
“This place is not ours, it’s yours; it’s for the people of Griffith. Everyone is welcome.”
Bubu’s Kava Bar is located at 14 Probert Avenue, East Griffith shops and is open every day from 9 am to late at night.
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