A broken water pipe has caused significant damage and temporarily forced the shutdown of one of Northampton County’s most beloved Italian restaurants.
Fiamma Italian Grill, 2118 Schoenersville Road in Hanover Township, Northampton County, never reopened following a winter holiday hiatus this week.
Owner Joseph Jurkivo took to the restaurant’s Facebook page Tuesday afternoon to inform loyal patrons of the incident and said his family is “devastated” by the damage.
“As always our mission will be to take the best course of action to handle all these issues as fast as possible while taking the safest and best course of action to return to serving our amazing customers as soon as possible!,” the post says.
By 9 a.m. Wednesday, the post garnered nearly 900 reactions, nearly 150 comments and about 30 shares.
It’s unclear exactly how long repairs will take. Jurkivo couldn’t immediately be reached for more details Wednesday morning.
This isn’t the first time Fiamma has faced challenges.
The restaurant reopened in mid-January 2023 after a devastating blaze torched the building in February 2022. Construction and renovation setbacks delayed plans to open sooner.
Jurkivo, a Somerset County, New Jersey, native now living in Hanover Township, was 15 years old in 1996 when he set out to learn about the culinary industry. He walked into what was then the Pane E. Vino Restaurant — now Fiamma — and told then chef, Paolo Nota, he also wanted to become a chef.
Nota went on to become Jurkivo’s longtime mentor.
Jurkivo bought Pane E. Vino in 2011. He changed the eatery’s name twice after taking over operations. First, it was called That’s Amore before being renamed Fiamma when he secured a liquor license in 2016.
Nota for a brief time in early 2023 worked at Fiamma and teamed up with Jurkivo once again. Nota later left to spend more time with his family and lead the culinary team at Woodstone Country Club and Lodge in Lehigh Township.
Fiamma is known for its made-from-scratch dishes, including chicken, veal and seafood. Fiamma fans know they have to plan early, sometimes making reservations weeks in advance to secure a coveted table.