Moozy’s will be back.
“The intent is to rebuild and…restore something that is a happy place for people in Belmont and Watertown,” said Dante Muzzioli, owner of Moozy’s Ice Cream Emporium on Trapelo Road.
At around 4 a.m. on Thursday, May 14, Muzzioli received a call from an employee who opens the restaurant each morning to check refrigeration and freezer temperatures, check the trash, and prepare the deep fryer. He told Muzzioli that on his morning drive to pick up some coffee before work, he noticed smoke coming from the building.
“I got in the car. I got down there by 4:20 in the morning,” Muzzioli said. “The door was open; the windows were intact, but smoke was pouring out of it.”
According to Belmont Fire Chief David DeStefano, firefighters were called at around 4:30 a.m. for a smoky fire at the building at 2 Trapelo Road after the Moozy’s employee called 911. The fire originated in the basement, DeStefano said. Fire crews attempted to enter the basement but were unable to do so. The flames eventually caused the first floor to collapse.
“As they were attempting to get into the basement, the floor became unstable. They needed to evacuate the building immediately, after which the floor immediately failed,” DeStefano said.
One firefighter suffered a minor injury but was able to stay on scene, according to fire officials. Belmont received mutual aid support from Watertown, Arlington, Cambridge, and Waltham, as well as Pro EMS.
Watching as first responders worked, Muzzioli looked on, stunned but hopeful the issue was largely smoke from a malfunctioning refrigeration system— but as the hours passed, he knew it was more serious, and the outlook wasn’t good.
On Monday, he said the cause was still undetermined. Though the plan is to rebuild, he’ll have a better sense of how that will look in the coming weeks.
“It’s just really, really sad, but the community keeps showing up to support us,” said manager Becca Pizzi.
According to Muzzioli, Moozy’s opened about 12 years ago, serving a variety of ice creams, burgers, and more. Before that, the building was home to one of two Brigham’s Ice Cream restaurants in town.
“It’s been here for such a long time,” said resident Carol Malfa. “Being in the town for as long as I have, you know, it’s hard to see things like this happen.”
“It’s especially [difficult] knowing a lot of the young employees here and how they feel about this,” added Lena Malfa, Carol’s granddaughter.
In the wake of the fire, Muzzioli said what stands out to him most is the outpouring of support he’s received from the community. In the days since, he’s received numerous calls, text messages, and visits from people offering their support. He was also grateful for the response by the police and fire departments.
“I’m taken aback by it,” he said. “If there’s one positive thing that came out of it, it was the support.”
The fire at Moozy’s was the second restaurant fire in about a week for Belmont, following a fire at Nick’s Place II on Wednesday, May 6, according to DeStefano, who said his department was called to the building block on Channing Road at around 8 a.m.
“The fire stayed small, and while it produced some soot and smoke, it never caused much damage to its structure and its contents,” DeStefano told the Select Board this week. “This is the best possible scenario for a fire that begins in a building of this size, age and design. It would have been devastating.”
The cause of the fire, which involved a freezer, is still under investigation, according to owner Rita Alepakis. The restaurant will be closed for a few weeks while smoke damage is addressed.
“We are thankful to the community and hope everybody comes back when we do the big grand reopening, especially after we just hit the milestone and celebrated our 20-year anniversary,” she wrote in an email to The Voice.