Brick Landmark Villa Vittoria Restaurant Damaged By Fire

Brick, NJ -- Villa Vittoria, the Italian restaurant that has been a fixture on the corner of Cedar Bridge and Old Hooper avenues for decades, was destroyed by a fire on Monday afternoon.

Firefighters were called to the restaurant after 3:30 p.m., according to witnesses, and the call quickly escalated to a three-alarm fire. Smoke was seen billowing from the roof in videos shared with the Brick Patch, and according to scanner traffic, firefighters had to open multiple holes in the roof of the restaurant to battle the flames.

Patrons and employees safely evacuated from the restaurant, according to scanner reports.

The fire was reduced to putting out hot spots by about 5:30 p.m., according to scanner reports.

Old Hooper Avenue was closed in both directions at Cedar Bridge while the fire was being fought, leaving residents of nearby Cedar Bridge Manor with limited access to their neighborhood.

"No one is allowed in or out of our neighborhood," reader Erin Geist said.

A number of readers expressed sadness at the loss.

"Hope it comes back," reader Bill Strong wrote. "Nice to have a place that is not part of a chain in this town."

"Oh no!!! That's awful. I love that place," Deborah A. Walton wrote.

Several readers commented that they had held special events at the restaurant over the years, from christenings to bridal showers.

"We are so sad this has happened," reader Mark Bellini wrote. "Our favorite place. We know the whole crew. So sad."

"Truly a tough circumstance to cross on a day as special as today or any other day.... but these are the bumps we face in life," Brian Segura, a waiter at the restaurant, said a post on the Brick Patch Facebook page. "Thank the stars that everyone is ok and no one has been hurt... material things are replaceable but not the people we work with and the people we welcome in every day."

"A million thanks for everyone's support and God bless the the men and women helping defeat the fire," he said in the post. "Everything's for a reason."

Brick Patch reader Frank Giacolone shared video of the fire:

Brick Patch reader Roxanne Bridget Quinlan shared these photos of the fire.

Reader Ritch Ritter supplied these photos:

And reader Russell Geist shared this view of firefighters battling the blaze.

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Smoke rises from the back of the Villa Vittoria restaurant in Brick. Deb MacDonald photo