MORGANTOWN — On Monday, the first working day of 2022, Italian deli Nonno Carlo opened its doors for the first time since a Dec. 17 kitchen fire forced an unexpected closure during the holiday season.
Shortly after noon, Mandy Barill, who works nearby and said she’s a regular at the deli, walked through the double doors to order a pizza.
“I’m glad,” she said of her lunch spot’s reopening. “I think everybody ought to try it.”
The night of Dec. 17, a compressor in a refrigerator shorted out, exploded and started the fire, said Elijah Romine, acting general manager and do-it-all guy.
Because of the sprinklers going off, the entire ceiling in the kitchen collapsed, Romine said. Two fridges and a prep table were destroyed. There was also smoke damage to the dishes. However, the main dining and retail area was unharmed, except a heavy smoke smell and lots of water.
“It could have been a lot worse,” Romine said.
On Facebook, the deli thanked family, friends and the community for their love and support.
“There’s, you know, been a lot of concern from the community and well wishes from the community. Which is, you know, greatly appreciated,” Romine said.
Despite the closure, Nonno Carlo’s continued to make sure employees were paid. Romine said it was the right thing to do for a staff that has worked hard to help build a business from scratch – especially right before Christmas.
While closed, the damage was assessed, employees helped clean — and they spent a week cooking for the Bartlett House, Romine said.
“We all cook in our free time. And obviously, it’s our profession. So it’s what we love to do,” Romine said. “So being able to do it for other people and kind of show them some knife skills and recipes and help them out during the holidays was very rewarding.”
In addition to the fire, while the deli was closed, someone entered through an unlocked door and stole two tablets that are used for online ordering and can’t be used for anything else. Romine said the thief’s choice was strange.
Despite a rough end to 2021, Romine said the deli is back and ready to be stronger than it was before the fire.
“We’re just excited to get back to it and we can’t wait to see the familiar faces coming back in and get back to doing what we do best,” Romine said.
Nonno Carlo is located in the Suncrest Towne Centre and is open 11 a.m.- 9 p.m., seven days a week.
