After fire, Tropical Smoothie Cafe reopens in Massapequa Park

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Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Massapequa Park has officially reopened after being closed for a month following an electrical fire.

The fire broke out early on Monday, Sept. 30, just as the cafe opened for the day. An electrical outlet suddenly caught fire, causing both panic and extensive damage throughout the store.

“I was making food, and when I turned around, I saw that the outlet was on fire,” said Lauren Prestia, the store’s general manager.

“It was really scary,” said assistant manager Sophia Cavasinni, who was also on shift that morning.

The two employees quickly jumped into action, using one and a half fire extinguishers to try to contain the flames. A customer pitched in, helping to turn off the store’s electricity before the fire department arrived and evacuated the building. Firefighters also had to break through a wall to make sure the flames were fully contained.

Between the flames, smoke, and soot, the fire caused extensive damage to the building.

“We had to replace our entire ceiling grid due to the smoke and soot from the fire,” said Dylan Perlman, the store’s owner.

Now fully restored, the cafe reopened on Oct. 25 and is celebrating with a grand reopening party on Saturday, Nov. 2, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Scroll down for photos from the fire and renovation.