FREEHOLD – Two restaurants that have been mainstays in Freehold Borough’s downtown district for many years have reopened their kitchens following a fire that was quickly contained on the afternoon of Jan. 24.
Firefighters responded to East Main Street and fought a fire in a small space between Federici’s and the Court Jester.
The fire was found in the wall of Federici’s and was extinguished by a joint response team comprised of the Freehold Fire Department, the East Freehold Fire Company of Freehold Township and the Adelphia Fire Company of Howell, according to Freehold Fire Department Chief Stephen Pullen.
No injuries were reported at the scene of the fire. The cause of the fire remained under investigation by the Monmouth County Fire Marshal’s office as of Jan. 25.
During the event, Freehold Borough’s fire station was managed by the Freehold Township Independent Fire Company, Pullen said. He said Federici’s sustained smoke and water damage and the Court Jester sustained minor smoke damage.
When contacted on Jan. 26, Federici’s owner Mike Federici said the restaurant’s kitchen was scheduled to be fully operational that day and was ready to serve food.
He said the restaurant’s bar area, which is the closest part of the restaurant to East Main Street and where most of the damage occurred, will be closed for about one month.
Federici praised the emergency personnel for their response to the fire.
“If it wasn’t for the quick response of the fire department and police, we may not have seen 100 years,” he said, referencing the restaurant’s three-generation history in the borough. Federici’s opened in 1921 and will celebrate its 97th anniversary this year.
The Court Jester reported on its Facebook that it would be fully operational on Jan. 25, which restaurant employees confirmed when contacted on Jan. 26. Having opened in 1977, the Court Jester has served the borough for four decades.
