Date: Fri 21-Mar-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

business-catering-fire

Full Text:

After Catering Business Fire

Two Newtown Women Plan A Comeback

Betsy and Margaret Valentine were catering a party in the Alexandria Room at

Edmond Town Hall last Saturday night when the building in Danbury that housed

their business, Valentine's Catering, was destroyed by a fire that is believed

to have been arson.

"It's been a crazy, crazy week," Betsy Valentine said Wednesday. "Our plans

are to relocate our kitchen and we're trying desperately to find one."

The two sisters, who live in Sandy Hook, operated their catering business in

Woodbury in the late 1980s. They later started the Back Door Cafe in the

Newtown Middle School and operated it for three years as a culinary training

program for high school students. In January 1996 they moved into the building

at 79 Shelter Rock Road in Danbury, a catering hall known as The Medallion

Room, which has been owned by Michael Zarcone of Danbury since 1958. At the

time the building was vacant except for a small coffee vending company which

Mr Zarcone operated.

"Our business has been doing very well," Betsy Valentine said. "We opened a

small deli and had use of the full banquet room upstairs which seats 100. We

provide school lunches for the Hudson Country Day School and the Maimonides

Academy in Danbury and we're in the process of adding another school.

"We do a lot of corporate lunches, on- and off-premises catering, and were

just getting ready to cater the summer camp programs when the fire occurred,"

she said. "Now we're back to square one."

The Valentines arranged for Stew Leonard's on Federal Road in Danbury to

supply the school lunches temporarily while they attempt to find another

location.

"We're hopeful that within two weeks we will find someplace to relocate even

if it is temporarily to a church kitchen," Betsy Valentine said.

But she also said they are willing to stay if Mr Zarcone decides to rebuild.

"This has been devastating for him too," she added.

About 50 paid and volunteer firefighters battled the fire which was reported

at 12:26 am. The two-story frame building was located in an industrial area

but had been a private residence when Mr Zarcone bought it. It had survived

the flood of 1955 despite waist-deep water on the first floor.

Ms Valentine said fire officials are investigating whether the fire may be

linked to the still-unsolved series of arsons that have plagued Danbury,

Brookfield and Bethel during the past year.

"From all indications, they believe it was arson," she said.