Resta Coffee
Dinusha Dissanayake
If you’re born here or move here when you’re young, it’s different. But I was 21 when I came to London, so I’d grown up and learned everything in Sri Lanka. When I first arrived, it was difficult. It was gloomy and dark, I struggled with the language and my studies and I wanted to go back home.
But I told myself that for my future, I couldn’t go back. After a few years, things got better. And I never felt isolated or like I’m a foreigner. That’s what I like about Lewisham – there are so many different people from around the world living here and you don’t feel like you’re being treated differently.
I knew that starting a business would be hard, but I didn’t expect it to be this tough. You can’t take a step back and there’s no-one else you can depend on. I have to keep my phone switched on 24/7 and be on it all the time. But I’m proud of what I’ve achieved – I’ve built a brand. I now have branches across Lewisham – they’re like my kids. And they’re doing really well. I want to be the best coffee shop not just in Lewisham, but across the south-east.
That’s my target.
Images: Elzbieta Piekacz
