Newtown Restaurant Destroyed In Fire Months After Opening

NEWTOWN, CT — Just months after opening its first brick-and-mortar restaurant, jjStacks has been destroyed in the Sunday morning fire that damaged a strip mall on South Main Street.

Owner Joe Attonito announced the loss in a social media post Sunday, saying the restaurant is "completely lost" but promising customers the business will return.

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"I can't believe I'm sitting here writing this," Attonito wrote. "jjStacks Newtown is completely lost."

The restaurant opened this spring at 71 South Main St., marking a major milestone for the popular food truck, which had built a loyal following across Connecticut before opening its first permanent location in Newtown.

Attonito said no one was hurt because the fire occurred early Sunday morning before the restaurant opened for business.

"The whole place is destroyed," he wrote. "We have to rebuild from the ground up — which we will do."

He also thanked the Newtown Fire Department, saying firefighters "showed up in full force" and helped save neighboring businesses in the shopping plaza.

"Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes we will be back," Attonito wrote.

The fire was reported shortly after 8:30 a.m. after multiple callers reported smoke coming from the building at 71 South Main St.

All five Newtown fire companies responded, and firefighters launched what officials described as an aggressive fire attack while searching for fire extension throughout the building. The blaze was quickly knocked down, preventing it from spreading farther through the strip mall, according to Newtown Hook & Ladder.

Fire officials said the blaze was primarily contained to one business, while neighboring businesses sustained smoke damage and some ceiling damage. No injuries were reported, and the cause remains under investigation by the Newtown Fire Marshal.