A famed Yorkville restaurant that was destroyed by a large fire on Christmas Day last year will soon reopen at a nearby location, its owner says.
On the evening of Dec. 25, 2014, firefighters responded to a three-alarm blaze at Spuntini Ristorante, located at 116 Avenue Rd. near Davenport Road.
"We are devastated to hear about the fire that started tonight," said founder and part-owner of Spuntini Fernando Esteves said at the time.
Peter Catarino, another owner of Spuntini was on the scene and said he was "traumatized" by the experience.
The restaurant was closed at the time of the fire and no one was injured in the apartments above.
At least 12 fire trucks and more than 40 firefighters were at the scene, battling the fire well into the morning. But the blaze gutted the century-old building, just two days after the restaurant celebrated its 20th anniversary.
A year later, Catarino has plans to reopen the restaurant at nearby 138 Avenue Rd. After the fire, Catarino said he found himself “not knowing what to do.”
“I’d get up and do the same thing very day because there’s nowhere to go.”
Spuntini had grown into a hotspot over its two decades in business, known for its celebrity sightings as well as its food.
The Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office spent months investigating the blaze, but the official cause of the fire was listed as undetermined.
Sotto Sotto, another restaurant housed in the basement of the same building, was also destroyed in the fire, but found a new home a few doors down just two months after the incident. Catarino’s search for a new location, however, took almost an entire year.
The new location has yet to undergo renovations. Catarino said he will likely rebrand Spuntini with a new name when it opens in February,
“The menu is going to be very similar to what we had up the streets,” he said. “We’re going to tweak it a little bit, but (customers) can expect the same level of service if not better.”
Most of all, Catarino said it is a chance for him to rebuild a business he and the community were passionate about.
