‘A long road to get to this point’
Gofer Ice Cream reopens after devastating fire
“We are grateful the community has stuck with us, and we think they will be very happy.” Gofer Ice Cream owner Jay Regusa
GREENWICH — Gofer Ice Cream is back in business in Cos Cob, along with another popular eatery, the Pizza Post, after a major fire in the building where both are located in late 2019.
“It’s been a long time,” Gofer Ice Cream owner Jay Regusa said Monday. “It has been a long road to get to this point . ... There were a lot of different parties to deal with.”
While it has been a difficult time for the business, the newly reopened shop at 522 E. Putnam Ave. is now a more efficient operation, Ragusa said.
“I’ve learned a few things in the last 17 years,” Ragusa said of the time since he first opened his shop. And he said he put his experience to use in designing the rebuilt ice cream shop.
“It’s the latest and greatest,” he said. “Better countertops, a restroom, the layout is a little better, some more products.”
“We are grateful the community has stuck with us, and we think they will be very happy,” Ragusa continued.
There are six Gofer locations, with a seventh set to open at the Ridgeway Shopping Center at 2367 Summer St. in Stamford this spring. Four of the operations are franchises. Gofer opened its first store in Greenwich in 2003, and has since grown with shops also now open in Cos Cob, Stamford, Wilton, New Canaan and Darien.
The aim was to create a “hometown ice cream store,” one that is embedded in a community, Ragusa said. The business sponsors a number of community events and organizations, and it typically hires local teenagers to work at the stores.
“We have been looking for several years for just the right location in the downtown area” in Stamford for a second location in the city, he said. The Ridgeway location offers good access for walkers and drivers, with ample parking and storefront visibility, Ragusa said.
“We have been fairly busy during 2020 and into 2021, not only planning several new shops, but renovating our existing locations (at 869 High Ridge Road) in Stamford and Cos Cob,” he said.
The operation is looking to expand into New York and is seeking franchisees, said Ragusa.
The Pizza Post restaurant,
which has also been shuttered since the fire on Oct. 21, 2019, has also reopened. The restaurant, which has been in operation for nearly five decades, has expanded and added new items to the menus, according to owner Matthew Criscuolo.
Food left on the stove top at Pizza Post caused the fire, according to the town fire marshal.
No one was injured in the blaze, which caused widespread damage and took 50 to 60 Greenwich firefighters about 35 minutes to get under control.
Criscuolo worked with his insurance company to renovate and expand the Pizza Post’s operations after the fire.
“The best part is, we’re going to have everything new, a better quality product, better equipment, better service,” the restaurateur said. “It will be easier for customers, but it will still feel like Pizza Post, still feel like home.”
The two-story commercial building known as Indian Field Plaza in Cos Cob also housed La Bella Day Spa, Gofer Ice Cream, Salon Moda Enzo, a tutoring business and other small offices.