Smoke Condition Closes Bagel Shop

Work at the Boulder Run shopping center cost Goldberg's Famous Bagels a few hours of business Sunday.

The Wyckoff Fire Department was called to the business sometime after 11 a.m. after a customer of the 17-year-old establishment reported seeing smoke smoldering from exposed insulation on the exterior above the Goldberg's sign, where work crews were welding, owner Steve Vaccari said.

By Monday morning, Goldberg's was open for business with little visible evidence of the response that Vaccari called a "big to-do." The incident, which was contained to the exterior of the building, amounted to some damage to the brickwork above the facade but did not otherwise affect the structural integrity of the building. 

However, the call prompted the Fire Department response and mutual aid from neighboring departments, including Franklin Lakes, Oakland and Ramsey, according to the Breaking News Network of Fort Lee.  Although the situation was under control in about 40 minutes, Goldberg's had to close for the day. The Board of Health also had to come to allow the business to re-open.

"It cost me a day's business," Vaccari said. "It hurt me really bad."

The owner, a Franklin Lakes resident, noted that Sunday is the busiest day of the week. The smoke shuttered his store, costing him customers, but also led to lost merchandise, as Vaccari had to discard all the bagels that were already made.

Work crews have been a fixture at Boulder Run as it undergoes a facelift that includes residential housing and exterior work at the pre-existing buildings. Vaccari said he expects the finished product to be "beautiful" but admits that the construction has been difficult for merchants.

"Everyone's (business) is off," he said. 

However, he said his regular customers still try to brave the occasional parking lot maze created by the presence of heavy machinery.

"It's amazing what people will go through" to frequent their favorite stores, Vaccari said.

Hekemian Construction is the general contractor on the Boulder Run project. The firm could not be reached for comment.

Fire Chief David Murphy also could not be reached, and police Chief Benjamin Fox was unavailable for comment. 

More details on the response will be provided as they become available.