Pizzeria Fire Upends Ridgewood Businesses

RIDGEWOOD, N.J.– Brandon Shim planned to begin training four new employees Monday to help with the busy summer season at his Ridgewood ice cream shop, but those plans were scrapped after a fire gutted the pizzeria next door the day before.

M&T Bank was being worked on following the fire. The branch manager referred all questions to corporate.
Photo Credit: *Anthony Locicero*

Brandon Shim was supposed to start training his new employees Monday
Photo Credit: *Anthony Locicero*

Although the fire was contained to La Bella Pizza, there was damage to the interior of Maggie Moo's
Photo Credit: *Anthony Locicero*

It could be weeks before the ice cream parlor reopens, owner Brandon Shim said
Photo Credit: *Anthony Locicero*

An electrical short in the kitchen of La Bella Pizza started a fire, which damaged the interior of neighboring Maggie Moo's
Photo Credit: *Anthony Locicero*

Verizon workers repaired the phone lines at the Village Shopping Center
Photo Credit: *Anthony Locicero*

Anthony Locicero

04/25/2016 2:52 p.m.

It could take weeks before his business reopens, said Shim, who lost most of his inventory after the power went out.

"The cake looks like a thin slice of pizza now," he said.

Meanwhile, Lisa McCrea estimated smoke damage to her salon at $20,000.

"Clients had to go home [yesterday] with color and bleach in their hair," said McCrea, whose Lisa Thomas Salon didn't have Internet or phone service this morning

Work was being completed inside nearby M&T Bank, as fans cleared smoke from Tabboule, a Lebanese restaurant which was closed for the day.

Rajib Kumar was one of the lucky ones. It was "business as usual" at his Ridgewood Hot Bagels after the electric fans did their jobs.

An electrical short ignited the blaze at neighboring La Bella Pizza, authorities said.

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