A three-alarm fire on March 14 above Chris’s Family Diner on South Orange Avenue damaged the diner itself, the apartments above it and nearby businesses, including Ambiance Jewelers and Gladys’s Nail Salon. The damage forced the businesses to temporarily close as owners assess next steps and begin recovery efforts.
Chris’s Family Diner, a longtime presence in the South Orange community, remains closed due to extensive fire and water damage. A GoFundMe was launched to support the business, citing damage to the building, equipment and daily operations, leaving its reopening timeline uncertain.
“For 25 years, Chris’s has been more than just a diner. It is a place where neighbors gather, families connect, and so many of us have shared everyday moments over coffee and meals,” the GoFundMe page states. “Chris, Maria and the team have shown up for this community year after year, and now it is our turn to show up for them.”
Funds raised will go toward repairing and restoring the diner, replacing damaged equipment, supporting employees who rely on the business for income and offsetting the loss of weeks of service. The diner is owned by the family of Maria Niotis, one of two teenagers killed in a 2025 hit-and-run while riding electronic bikes.
Inside neighboring Ambiance Jewelers, owner Marco Tavara was working when the situation began to unfold.
“I open usually on Saturdays, 11 to five, and at 3:26, the fire alarm went off,” Tavara told The Setonian. “To be honest with you, I have been there 19 years in that location [and] I did not know what that was. I never heard that in my life.”
At first, Tavara said there were no visible signs of fire inside any of the ground-floor businesses.
He described standing on South Orange Avenue alongside employees from Chris’s Diner and Gladys’s Nail Salon in confusion.
“We really did not understand why the fire alarm was going off because none of us had fire,” Tavara said.
Moments later, they saw smoke coming from above the diner.
“We noticed the second floor of the restaurant—little smoke,” Tavara said.
As emergency responders arrived and began working to contain the fire, Tavara said he was ordered to evacuate but hesitated, worried about his inventory.
“I sell gold, and gold is very valuable,” Tavara said. “I said, ‘I can’t leave. This is my place. This is a lot of money.’”
Firefighters ultimately used his storefront to access the building, running hoses through the shop to reach the fire.
Tavara said he suffered water damage, resulting in lost equipment, damaged displays and the loss of a physical workspace. While he was able to salvage his gold and silver inventory, other items were irrevocably damaged.
“I had 750 watches, and a lot of watches don’t take water,” Tavara said. “My computer, my TVs, my cameras, my displays, all my leather bands for some watches…[that’s] what I lost.”
He also noted that he does not carry insurance due to the high cost associated with jewelry work, like welding, involving open-flame tools.
“That’s the worst thing for me,” Tavara said.
In the days following the fire, Tavara shared updates with the community on Instagram, expressing gratitude for the support he received. A GoFundMe for his business has raised over $16,000.
“It’s [overwhelming] all the people that are supporting me,” Tavara said in an Instagram reel posted on March 18. “Thank you everybody.”
Despite the setback, on March 20, Tavara announced that he had signed a new lease at 76 South Orange Ave., Suite 104, beginning April 1. Details about a grand opening are forthcoming.
Gladys’s Nail Salon also announced the temporary closure of its South Orange Avenue location on March 18 in a Facebook post.
“Due to circumstances beyond our control, as a result of the fire on Saturday, March 14, 2026, the South Orange location will temporarily operate from our Cranford location,” the post read. “We look forward to welcoming everyone at our temporary location while we recover from the fire and move forward.”
On March 23, the salon shared an update on Instagram.
“We are thrilled to announce that the Gladys Nail Salon crew has relocated and is now welcoming clients at our second location in Cranford, NJ,” the post read. “Even though it will take time to rebuild and return to our original home, our passion for beauty and providing exceptional services hasn’t changed a bit.”
The owners of Gladys’s Nail Salon and Chris’s Family Diner did not respond to a request for comment.
Community members looking to support the recovery of Chris’s Family Diner or Ambiance Jewelers can donate through the respective GoFundMe pages.
Megan Pitt is the head editor of The Setonian’s News section. She can be reached at megan.pitt@student.shu.edu.
