By:Jeff Lipton
Popular business has stood as a local landmark for quarter century
After serving up more than 25 years of hot brew to morning Long Island Rail Road commuters, John's Coffee Shop on Chestnut Street in Cedarhurst was closed after an early-morning fire ripped through the building Aug. 30.
Co-owner Chris Michael, who stood outside the shop in apparent disbelief to explain to customers what had happened, vowed to rebuild the business and re-open it within six months. He discovered the place was on fire when he showed up for work at about 5 a.m.
We'll fix it up,he said.
His son, John Michael, said, The fire was pretty shocking for everybody.
The blaze erupted at about 4 a.m. at the coffee shop, 475 Chestnut St., according to Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department Chief Tony DeLuca.
When firefighters arrived, they saw that the east wall of the business and the roof were engulfed in flames.
DeLuca said the cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation by the Nassau County Fire Marshal, but it is not believed to be suspicious.
The blaze has been ruled accidental, said Assistant Chief Steve Wenk of the Fire Marshal's office. There was nothing suspicious about it,Wenk said. The building was completely locked up at four in the morning. It was secured all the way around.
DeLuca said the fire was trapped between two roofs, with a new roof having been installed on top of an old one.
The fire stayed in between the roofs,DeLuca said. The roof was damaged so much that it collapsed in the middle.
The two roofs, which are about two feet apart, posed a challenge for firefighters.
The counter area was also heavily damaged, and damage estimates to the entire building could run high, officials said.
One of the firefighters who responded to the blaze suffered an injury when a nail stuck him in the hand. He was treated at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside and released.
About 60 firefighters from Lawrence-Cedarhurst, Inwood and Woodmere battled the blaze for two hours before it was brought under control.
The fire was not in jeopardy of spreading to other buildings or businesses and no one had to be evacuated from nearby buildings.
Little could be saved in the coffee shop. Only a rear office of the owners, which contained equipment and paperwork, was untouched by the fire.
Many LIRR commuters who stop by the shop before they begin their day said they were saddened that their favorite morning spot was gutted by fire.
I was sick and heart-broken,said Lois Ruiz. It was my second home there everyday for lunch. I'm just heart-broken. Oh my God, everybody's shocked about it.
Her husband, Carmelo, who owns Mel's Italian and Seafood Restaurant next door, said the Michaels are just like family to him, having known them for 38 years.
I feel terrible about what happened,he said. Everybody loves these people. They are like family.
By midday Aug. 30, family and friends of the Michaels had gathered in front of the burned-out shop to comfort one another, including daughter Christina Michael, who cut short a trip to Pennsylvania to be with her family.
I got the phone call at 5 a.m.,she said. It was unreal. I thought they were pranking us.... Thank God, no one was hurt.
All of the family members said they were not sure how the fire got started.
She said her grandfather started the business more than 25 years ago and was taken over by her father, Michael Michael, and his brother Chris Michael.
