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Hobby's Delicatessen & Restaurant, a staple in downtown Newark for generations, is closed indefinitely following a fire at the business Monday afternoon, the eatery said.
A firefighter suffered non-life-threatening injuries battling the blaze at the Branford Place eatery, which was reportedly brought under control in about a half hour. None of the dozens of staff and customers were hurt, the eatery's management said.
The restaurant, which has been operated by the Brunner family since 1962, said it would reopen as quickly as possible after repairs from the small fire.
"We are temporarily closed for business; we promise to reopen faster than it took Marc to recover from his broken back," the business said on its Facebook page.
Well-known to lawyers, construction workers, journalists, executives and others who work in downtown Newark, Hobby's gamed national renown for "Operation Salami Drop," an effort to deliver salamis to U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The deli was recently featured as a backdrop for the "Sopranos" prequel.
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