New Pizza Restaurant Adds To Strip Plaza Resurgence In Vernon

VERNON, CT — A pizza and grinder shop has opened in a Vernon plaza that was partly wrecked by a fire in 2018.

Family's Pizza and Grinders opened its doors on Dec. 6. It is located at the center of the strip shopping plaza at 352 Hartford Turnpike.

The menu includes traditional and specialty pizzas, grinders and sandwiches and curly fries. See more on the restaurant's Facebook page.

It takes the place of the Oriental Cafe, which was destroyed by a Sept. 24, 2018 fire.

Authorities credited crediting a quick response and a firewall system for most of the Post Road Plaza being spared from a fire that night.

The initial call came in as 20 seconds before midnight and it took about 90 minutes for the fire to be under control, authorities said. It destroyed the inside of the Oriental Café.

Flames were shooting through the roof when fire crews arrived, officials said.

One veteran official said it was as extensive an interior fire as he's seen. Vernon Town Manager and Emergency Management Director Michael Purcaro said the quick response by fire and police crews prevented "potential catastrophic damage" to the plaza.

Officials said a firewall system also prevented widespread damage to to adjacent businesses, considering how serious the restaurant fire was.