Cheshire pizzeria destroyed by fire
Pair of fundraisers set up to help Fuoco Pizza after ‘devastating’ loss
Fuoco Pizza in Cheshire was destroyed in a fire on Dec. 28, and a friend of the family that owns the eatery has started a Gofundme campaign to raise money to help pay its employees until business can resume.
At the same time, a second Gofundme was started by the restaurant owner’s cousin. Both fundraisers can be found by searching on “Help the Fuoco Pizza Family” at gofundme.com.
No one was injured in the fire that consumed Fuoco Coal Fired
Apizza at 461 W. Main St. Cheshire Volunteer Fire Department’s Facebook page reported that the fire started in the kitchen at 11:06 a.m. and took about an hour and a half to extinguish.
One Gofundme was started on Dec. 31 by Kyle Tournas. By the morning of Jan. 6, $6,530 of the $100,000 goal had been reached.
Tournas, who owns Hot Tub Discounts in Wallingford, got to know Fuoco owner George Constanti when their daughters became best friends. Both families live in Prospect.
Constanti could not be reached for comment.
Tournas said he expects insurance to cover the repairs of the restaurant, but the Gofundme is to pay employees until business can resume.
“He wants to keep them employed. He is dedicated to them,” Tournas said.
Still, Tournas added, he didn’t believe Constanti would start a Gofundme on his own.
“If I was in their shoes I’d be looking for help but George is a very humble person and wouldn’t ask for help. I spoke to his wife Andrea. I said, ‘I’m doing this anyway even if he gets mad at me,’ ” Tournas said.
“I am a small business owner myself. I feel for him. I saw a friend in need,” he said. “I’m also a volunteer firefighter. I have seen the tragedy and frustration that comes from a fire.”
The second Gofundme was started on the same day by Constanti’s cousin, Stella Ioannou-zipoli. By the morning of Jan. 6, $320 was raised of its $20,000 goal.
In her plea for donations, Ioannou-zipoli described how the blaze began:
“George fired up the oven like a normal day, he noticed something was not right, he saw flames coming from the top of the oven and before he can even comprehend what was happening the ceiling started to melt right before his eyes. The fear in him at that very second is unimaginable, he ran to the back to alert his son and the rest of the crew to get out. It is a miracle and a blessing that everyone was able to retreat to safety and no one was hurt. Within minutes the ceiling collapsed and the devastation began.”