A fire erupted in a back room of the Center St. Deli in Oneonta Tuesday, April 28, leaving a damaged but not destroyed building in its wake.
Oneonta Fire Chief Brian Knapp said Wednesday that the call for reports of smoke at 82 Center St. came in at 8:48 p.m. Fire crews were on scene until after 1 a.m., although the fire was knocked down pretty quickly, Knapp said.
He said there was heavy smoke and water damage throughout the building. Center Street was closed between Maple and Elm streets as fire crews worked.
The building is repairable and not a total loss, Knapp said. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Mutual aid was on scene from the West Oneonta and Otego fire departments. Franklin and Sidney fire crews provided FAST teams at the scene. Milford fire crews covered the Oneonta fire station, and Otsego County Ambulance covered EMS. Otsego County Emergency Services was on the scene for a short time. Oneonta Police was also on the scene.
The deli was reopened under new ownership in August. Tino Garufi Jr. had retired after selling Tino’s Pizza, which was a staple in the Oneonta community since 1986. After retirement, he and his wife decided to make a return to the food industry and reopen the Center St. Deli.
Deli owners were not immediately available for comment Tuesday night.