Niagara Falls, N.Y. (WBEN) – Niagara Falls firefighters have determined a fire that caused $150,000 in damages at Michael's started in the restaurant's kitchen. The Italian restaurant, located in the Falls’ Little Italy neighborhood, has been in business for more than 60 years. First responders were called to the business around 9:00 p.m. ET after the restaurant had closed for the night.
The owners are receiving an outpouring of support from the community. This message was posted to the restaurant’s Facebook page Sunday morning:
To our community:
Last night, our beloved restaurant of 61 years experienced a devastating fire. Michael Capizzi started this iconic family restaurant in 1966. While the loss is heartbreaking, we are beyond grateful to the incredible firefighters, emergency personnel, and all who responded swiftly and worked tirelessly to extinguish the fire. Their work and effort was nothing short of amazing, and we are forever grateful.
As we begin to process this loss, please know that our thoughts are also with our staff and the community who have supported us for so long.
To everyone who has reached out, thank you. Your kind words, memories, and support mean the world to us. Right now, we’re taking time to process everything, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate the emotional days ahead.
With gratitude,
The Michaels Family
The owners of the restaurant next door, La Hacienda Ristorante and Pizzeria, offered words of support on social media:
It’s a sad day for Pine Avenue and our local restaurant community. We are still shocked and in disbelief of the fire that took place right next door to us at Michael’s. Our thoughts and prayers go out to our neighbors of many years, the Capizzi family and staff. If anything is needed we are here for you guys. Some how we were lucky enough to not sustain any damage to our building and will be able to OPEN for business as usual. Please keep the Michael’s family and staff in your prayers as they navigate through this horrible situation. We’d also like to acknowledge the NFFD and other first responder’s for there quick response and swift action to contain the fire. Thank You.
-Satarian Family and Staff
#NFStrong